Show ContentsVoice History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished surname Voice is one of the many to have come to England in the wake of the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name is derived from "Voise," the name of a place in the Eure-et-Loir region of France. It is likely that the first bearer of this name in England was one who had emigrated from the village of Voise.

Early Origins of the Voice family

The surname Voice was first found in Sussex, where the Voice family held a family seat from early times. After the Norman Conquest of 1066, King William granted the lands of England to the barons who had served him at the Battle of Hastings; thus, it is likely that the progenitor of the name Voice was one of these barons who acquired land in the county of Sussex. Early records include John Voyce, who was listed in the Feet of Fines for the County of Sussex during the Reign of Edward IV (ruled 1461-1483); as well as a Thomas Voyce, who was listed in 1379 in the Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Early History of the Voice family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Voice research. Another 155 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1435, 1647, 1660, 1674 and 1722 are included under the topic Early Voice History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Voice Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Voice, Voyce, Foyce, Voise, Voyse and others.

Early Notables of the Voice family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • the Voice family of Horsham, West Sussex


United States Voice migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Voice or a variant listed above:

Voice Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Jane Voice, who settled in Charleston, South Carolina in 1767
  • William Voice, who was recorded as a runaway convict, apprentice, or servant in Baltimore in 1769

Canada Voice migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Voice Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Ham Voice and his wife Sarah, who emigrated from Sussex to Canada with their two children in 1836

Contemporary Notables of the name Voice (post 1700) +

  • Gary Voice, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Colorado, 1972 [1]


  1. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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