Alcott History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The rich and ancient history of the Alcott family name dates back to the time of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It comes from the pet form of the name Allicock. Alternatively, the name could have derived from the name of an ancestor as in 'the son of Allen.' 1
Early Origins of the Alcott family
The surname Alcott was first found in Derbyshire and Cambridgeshire where the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Alcok de Stonys and John Alcoc, respectively.
The Yorkshire Polls Tax Rolls of 1379 had listings with a variety of early spellings: Johannes Alcokson; Alcocus de Stublay; and Willelmus Alcok. 1
Over in Norfolk, Henry Alycock was Rector of Colney in 1481 and the same source notes "in 1493, Thomas Alicok gave 10 marks to buy a cope." 2
Scotland has some early records of the name too as William Alkok was listed as a witness in Aberdeen in 1281. 3
Early History of the Alcott family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Alcott research. Another 56 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1399, 1430, 1449, 1461, 1472, 1473, 1486, 1500, 1715, 1738, 1742 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Alcott History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Alcott Spelling Variations
Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Alcott have been found, including Alcoc, Alecock, Alecocke, Allcock, Allcoke, Allcok, Allcoe and many more.
Early Notables of the Alcott family
Notables of the family at this time include John Alcock (c. 1430-1500), an English churchman, Master of the Rolls in 1461, Bishop of Rochester in 1472, 1st President of the Council of the Marches in Wales (1473 to 1500.) 4
John Alcock, born at London, April 11, 1715, "became at seven years of age a chorister of St. Paul's...
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Alcott Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Alcott Ranking
In the United States, the name Alcott is the 16,655th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5
Migration of the Alcott family to Ireland
Some of the Alcott family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Alcott migration to the United States +
Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Among the first immigrants of the name Alcott, or a variant listed above to cross the Atlantic and come to North America were :
Alcott Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- George Alcott, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1630 6
- Thomas Alcott, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1630 6
- Alice Alcott, who landed in Virginia in 1636 6
- Eliz Alcott, who landed in Virginia in 1636 6
- John Alcott, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1692 6
Alcott Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Jeremiah Alcott, who landed in New York in 1832 6
Contemporary Notables of the name Alcott (post 1700) +
- Amos Bronson Alcott (1799-1888), American teacher and transcendentalist
- Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888), American novelist, best known for the novel "Little Women"
- Thomas C. Alcott (1806-1872), American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Burlington County, 1869-71 7
- Herbert B. Alcott (b. 1873), American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Avon, 1921-22 7
- George J. Alcott, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Massachusetts 14th District, 1908 7
- A. B. Alcott, American politician, Mayor of Stillwater, Oklahoma, 1952-56 7
- Ms. Katie Tessa Alcott M.B.E., British recipient of the Member of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 2018 for services to international development 8
- Chimene "Chemmy" Mary Alcott (b. 1982), British Olympic alpine skier
- Alcott Neary, American Republican politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Monroe County 2nd District, 1933 9
The Alcott Motto +
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Vigilate
Motto Translation: Watch
Citations +
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
- 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)
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- 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)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- "Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html