This rare and interesting surname, found recorded mainly in East Anglia, is of Germanic and French origin, and has two possible sources. Firstly, it may be from a Germanic personal name, derived from the element "tal", destroy, either as a short form of a compound name with this first element, as in Talbot, or as an independent byname. Secondly, it may be from a metonymic nickname for a swift runner, or for someone with a deformed heel, derived from the Old French "talon", heel, a diminutive of "tal", itself from the Latin "talus". A sizeable group of early European surnames were gradually created from the habitual use of nicknames. The nicknames were given in the first instance with reference to a variety of characteristics, such as physical attributes or peculiarities, mental and moral characteristics, supposed resemblance to an animal's or bird's appearance or disposition, habits of dress, and occupation. The modern surname can be found as Tallowin, Tallon, Talwon, Tallowing and Tallowen. Recorded in the Church Registers of East Anglia are the marriage of Ruth Tallowin and Joseph Howlet, on August 10th 1690 at St. Benedict's, Norwich, Norfolk, and the christening of Anne, daughter of Thomas and Mary Tallowin, on April 28th 1749, at St. Stephen's, Norwich, also in Norfolk. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Henry Talon, or Talun, which was dated circa 1160, in the "Documents illustrative of the Social and Economic History of the Danelaw", during the reign of King Henry 11, known as "The Builder of Churches", 1154 - 1189. 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.