Hincks History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Hincks comes from the son of Hink or Hinche. 1 However, for the reader's perusal we are including the following quotation: "Hinks is no doubt a corruption of Hengest, which signifies a stallion. Some traditions make Heingist a Frisian, in which language the word is hingst, which approaches nearer to Hincks. In the names of places, Heingist has become changed to Hinks, as in Hinksey, county Berkshire." 2

Early Origins of the Hincks family

The surname Hincks was first found in Oxfordshire at either North Hinksey or South Hinksey, parishes, in the union of Abingdon, hundred of Hormer. 3 Traditionally part of Berkshire, this jurisdiction was changed to Oxfordshire in 1974. The place name dates back to Saxon times when it was first listed as Hengestesige in the 10th century. Literally the place name means "island or well-watered land of the stallion or of a man called Hengest," from the Old English words hengest or the Old English personal name + "eg." 4 One of the earliest records of the family was Roger Hanke who was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 in Norfolk. 5 William Hynke was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1327 as was ? Hynks in 1381. 6

Early History of the Hincks family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hincks research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1576 is included under the topic Early Hincks History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hincks Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Hincks were recorded, including Hincks, Hinks, Hinck, Hincke, Hinckes, Hink and others.

Early Notables of the Hincks family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Hincks of Berkshire

Hincks migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Hincks family emigrate to North America:

Hincks Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Arthur Hincks, who landed in Virginia in 1664 7
John Hincks, who landed in Portsmouth, NH in 1683 7

Hincks Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Frederick Hincks, who arrived in New York, NY in 1855 7

Hincks migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Hincks Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

James Hincks, aged 30, Irish convict from Queens County, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on October 22nd, 1824, settling in New South Wales, Australia 8
Henry Hincks, aged 24, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Monsoon"

Contemporary Notables of the name Hincks (post 1700) +

Carroll C. Hincks (1889-1964), American federal judge in the United States
Thomas Dix Hincks (1767-1857), Irish Orientalist, naturalist and clergyman, born at Bachelor's Quay, Dublin, on 24 June 1767 where his father, Edward Hincks (d. 1772), had removed in that year to Dublin from Chester 9
Edward Hincks (1792-1866), Irish orientalist and clergyman, son of Thomas Dix Hincks 9
Rob Hincks, British journalist, writer and editor
Sir Cecil Stephen Hincks (1894-1963), Australian politician knighted in 1960
Clarence Meredith Hincks (1885-1964), founder of the Canadian Mental Health Association
Thomas Hincks (1818-1899), British and Irish Unitarian minister and naturalist
Francis Hincks (1807-1885), Irish born Canadian politician

Citations +

Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1824 with 9 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1824
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020