Show ContentsHouchins History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient Viking-Scottish name Houchins is derived from Huchon, a diminutive form of Hugh. [1] Patronymic surnames arose out of the vernacular and religious given name traditions. This name is the equivalent of Hugh in the vernacular of Scotland. Today, the plural form of the name is more popular as in "Hutchins" or "Hutchens," but years ago the singular form was far more common.

Early Origins of the Houchins family

The surname Houchins was first found in Ross-shire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Rois), a former county now part of the Council Areas of Highland and Western Isles in Northern Scotland, which emerged from the Gaelic lordship of the Earl of Ross, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

The variants Hutcheon and Hutchon were the most common spellings used in both forenames and surnames in Scotland, as we shall soon see.

"Huchon was used in the thirteenth century instead of Huon as the regular oblique case of Hue. In Scotland during the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth centuries Hutcheoun (ch sibilant) regularly appears as a Christian name, the equivalent of Hugh or Hew in the vernacular. Hucheon Fraser, Lord of the Lovet is mentioned in 1422 and in 1510 a succeeding Lord Lowat is named Heow. Huchon Ker appears in 1467, and Huchown the Ross, 1481." [2]

Just over the border in Yorkshire, England the Yorkshire Poll Tax had two entries for the family: Isabella Huchon, doghter; and Willelmus Huchon. [3] In Somerset, John Huchoun was registered there 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) [4]

Early History of the Houchins family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Houchins research. Another 181 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1471, 1481, 1494, 1497, 1525, 1547, 1548, 1558, 1565, 1576, 1577, 1581, 1590, 1596, 1598, 1602, 1612, 1628, 1629, 1639, 1641, 1642, 1693, 1698, 1705, 1734, 1773 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Houchins History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Houchins Spelling Variations

The spellings of Scottish names dating from the medieval era often bear little resemblance to those seen today. They vary enormously because scribes in that time spelled according to their ears. Some spelling variations of the name Houchins include Hutchins, Hutchings, Hutchin, Hutcheon, Huchens, Hutcheons, Hutchon, Houchin, Houchen, Houchens, MacCutcheon, MacQuestion and many more.

Early Notables of the Houchins family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was Edward Hutchins (1558?-1629), English divine, born about 1558 of poor parents, was, according to Wood, a native of Denbighshire. About 1576 he matriculated at Brasenose College, Oxford: he graduated B.A. 1577, and proceeded M.A. 1581 and B.D. 1590. [5]Sir George Hutchins (d. 1705), king's...
Another 52 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Houchins Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Houchins Ranking

In the United States, the name Houchins is the 13,261st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [6]

Ireland Migration of the Houchins family to Ireland

Some of the Houchins family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Houchins migration to the United States +

The farms of Scottish settlers soon dotted the east coast of the colonies that would become the nations of the United States and Canada. Many of those migrants and their children went on to play important roles in the founding the great nations of North America. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Scottish name Houchins or a variant listed above, including:

Houchins Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Edgar Earl Houchins, aged 22, who settled in America, in 1918
  • Edward Houchins, aged 22, who immigrated to the United States, in 1919

Contemporary Notables of the name Houchins (post 1700) +

  • Thomas Lafayette Houchins Jr. (1923-2005), Sheriff of Alameda County, CA (1975 to 1979)
  • Gene Houchins, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1948 [7]
  • C. D. Houchins, American Republican politician, Chair of Pike County Republican Party, 1905 [7]


  1. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  2. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
  5. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  6. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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