This very rare and interesting surname is a semi Anglicization of Trinquant, which is of French Huguenot origin, and is from a nickname for a social drinker, derived from the French "trinquer", to drink, to clink glasses. During the mid to late 17th Century thousands of French Huguenots fled to England, and other countries, to escape religious persecution on the Continent, especially after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes by King Louis X1V in 1685. The surname development since 1680 (see below) includes the following: Charles Trinquand (1681, London), Isaac Trinquan (1697, London), Jacques Trincant (1732, France) and Eliza Trinkwon (1842, Kent). The modern surname can be found as Trinquant, Trinquan(d), Trincant and Trinkwon; Trinkwon is mainly found in Kent. Among the recordings in Kent are the christenings of Charles, John, Thomas and William, sons of William and Elizabeth Trinkwon, on August 23rd 1863 at Strood near Rochester, and their daughter Anne, on August 22nd 1855. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Mary Trinckand (christening), which was dated August 8th 1680, St. Olave's, Hart Street, London, during the reign of King Charles 11, "The Merry Monarch", 1660 - 1685. 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.