Show ContentsEndacott History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Endacott is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived as dwellers at the end cottage. The surname Endacott originally derived from the Old English words Ende and Cot. 1

Early Origins of the Endacott family

The surname Endacott was first found in Devon "at Endicott in Cadbury, " 1 but, unfortunately we cannot locate this place today. Records of the family is the early years are scarce, but the Devon Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1327 do mention Johannes de Ynndecote, and this may be the first record of the family.

Without a doubt, the most important member of the family was John Endecott (1588?-1665), Governor of New England. He was "supposed to have been born at Dorchester, Dorsetshire, in or about 1588, but nothing is known of his early life. On 19 March 1628 he joined with five other ‘religious persons’ in purchasing a patent of the territory of Massachusetts Bay from ‘the corporation styled the council established at Plymouth in the county of Devon for the planting, ruling, and governing of New England in America.’ " 2

Early History of the Endacott family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Endacott research. Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1300, 1601, 1629, 1630 and 1664 are included under the topic Early Endacott History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Endacott Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Endacott are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Endacott include: Endacott, Endecott, Endicott and others.

Early Notables of the Endacott family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Endacott of Devon

Migration of the Endacott family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Endacott or a variant listed above: John and Anne Endicott who settled in Massachusetts and became Governor of Massachusetts in 1628.


Contemporary Notables of the name Endacott (post 1700) +

  • George Beer Endacott (1901-1971), Devon-born, Hong Kong historian
  • Shane Endacott, New Zealand rugby league coach and former player (1994-1999), son of Frank Endacott
  • Frank Endacott ONZM, widely known as "Happy Frank", a popular rugby league coach from New Zealand

HMS Repulse
  • Mr. Frank William Endacott, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 3


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  3. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html


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