Show ContentsHiscox History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Hiscox came to England with the ancestors of the Hiscox family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the personal name Richard. It is composed of the elements Hitch, which is a pet form of the name Richard, and the suffix -cock, a medieval term of endearment. 1

In Old English, patronyms were formed by adding a variety of suffixes to personal names, which changed over time and from place to place. For example, in the 12th and 13th centuries, the most common patronymic names included the word filius, which meant son. However, by the 14th century, the suffix son had replaced these earlier versions.

Early Origins of the Hiscox family

The surname Hiscox was first found in various shires and counties throughout Britain. One of the first records of the name was simply listed as Hichecoc with no personal name in the Assize Rolls of Cheshire in 1260. 2

A similar entry with no personal name appeared in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 for Yorkshire as Hichecok. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire listed Richard Hichecokes there in 1327 and John Higecok was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire in the same year. William Hygecok, Hichecok were listed in 1329 and 1360. 2 The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Willelmus Higecok. 1

Early History of the Hiscox family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hiscox research. Another 61 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1739, 1775, 1776 and 1777 are included under the topic Early Hiscox History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hiscox Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Hiscox family name include Hitchcock, Hichcock, Hiscock, Hiscox, Hitchcocke, Hedgecock, Hitchcoke, Hitchcott and many more.

Early Notables of the Hiscox family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Daniel Hitchcock (1739-1777), American attorney and graduate of Yale University. He was first appointed lieutenant colonel in command of the regiment when it marched to serve in the Siege of...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hiscox Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Hiscox migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Hiscox family to immigrate North America:

Hiscox Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Hiscox, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1861 3

Australia Hiscox migration to Australia +

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

Hiscox Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. James Hiscox, (b. 1821), aged 23, English convict who was convicted in Bath, Somerset, England for 10 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Equestrian" on 25th January 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 4

New Zealand Hiscox migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Hiscox Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Elizabeth A. Hiscox, aged 22, a cook, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Celestial Queen" in 1872

HMS Repulse
  • Mr. Charles William Hiscox, British Engine Room Artificer 4th Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 5


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. 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)
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 4th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/equestrian
  5. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook