Sinnox History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Of all the Anglo-Saxon names to come from Britain, Sinnox is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived in an area that was defined by seven oak trees. Sinnox is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. During the Middle Ages, as society became more complex, individuals needed a way to be distinguishable from others. Toponymic surnames were developed as a result of this need. Various features in the landscape or area were used to distinguish people from one another. In this case the original bearers of the surname Sinnox were named due to their close proximity to the seven oakes.

Early Origins of the Sinnox family

The surname Sinnox was first found in Kent where they held a family seat at Seven-oaks, a market-town and parish, and the head of a union, in the hundred of Codsheath.

"This place, which in the Textus Roffensis is written Seovan Acca, is supposed to have derived its name from seven large oaks that stood upon the eminence on which the town is built. The free grammar school was founded and endowed in 1432, by Sir William Sevenoake, (1378?-1433?), usually written Sennocke, who, being deserted by his parents, was brought up by some charitable persons, and apprenticed to a grocer in London, from which station he rose to be lord mayor of that city, and its representative in parliament, leaving a portion of his wealth to found this school and an hospital for decayed elderly tradespeople. " 1

The variant Sinnock was "a corruption of Sevenoaks. " 2

Early History of the Sinnox family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sinnox research. Another 142 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1418, 1641, 1648, 1666, 1677, 1719, 1740 and 1765 are included under the topic Early Sinnox History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sinnox Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Sinnox has been spelled many different ways, including Snook, Snooks, Snukes, Sevenoak, Sevenoaks, Sevenoke, Sevenokes, Sinnox, Sinnocks, Sennocke, Sennox, Sevenocke, Sevenockes, Snooke, Snouk, Snouks, Sinnicks, Shinnicks, Shinnocks, Chennix and many more.

Early Notables of the Sinnox family

Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sinnox Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Sinnox family to Ireland

Some of the Sinnox family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 102 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sinnox 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:

Sinnox Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

W Sinnox, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.