A transposed spelling which is a variant of either the Welsh 'Morgan' an ancient name from the 8th century, and translating as 'great-bright', or as one of the Norse-Danish names Norden, Norgard or Norgaard. All the latter names have the same basic meaning and origin which is 'the dweller at the north farm'. Scandinavian names have entered the U.K. for over one thousand years and have become 'anglicized', but an ultimate origin could only be ascertained by genealogical research. The usual variant is Norden, and this name has appeared in England since medieval times, as in John Norden, topographer 1548 - 1625. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Morgan which was dated 12797 The Northumberland Assize Court during the reign of King Edward I The Hammer of the Scots 1272 - 1307 Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.