There appear to be two origins for this very interesting name. The first is from Yorkshire where the term 'to york' is still in use, and means 'to pull' and was applied to the official of the local Court sent to arrest wrong doers, and also known as the 'whipper in'. The second is from the Midlands and West Country and is a medieval job description for a person who sewed the uppers to the soles of shoes! The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Le Yorker. which was dated 1327, The Pipe Rolls of Cambridge. during the reign of King Edward 111 The Father of the Navy 1327 -1377. 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.