Hurrion

This unusual and interesting name has its origins in an ancient British (pre-Roman) personal name, found as "Urion, Urian, Uren" and in Wales particularly as "Urien". The Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire record one "John, son of Urian" in 1273, and another "Uryene" in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in the same year. The name "Urania", from the Greek name for the Goddess of the sky and Muse of Astronomy, was adopted by the Romans and used as both a male and female personal name. "Uranius" and "Urania" were absorbed into the Old British form "Urien", which translates as "twin-born", and was the name of one of the leaders of the Britons in the 6th Century in Northern England. An interesting namebearer, recorded in the "Dictionary of National Biography", was John Hurrion (1675 - 1731), who was independent minister of Hare Court Chapel, London, and Merchants' lecturer at Pinners' Hall, London. His works were edited by Rev A. Taylor in 1823. Recordings from London Church Registers include the christening of Eleanor, son of Samuel and Ann Hurrion, on September 20th 1778, at St. Leonard's, Shoreditch. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of James Hurhion, which was dated June 19th 1687, christened at Tonbridge, Kent, during the reign of King James 11, known as "The Last Catholic King", 1685 - 1688. 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.