Huxley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Huxley is one of the many new names that came to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Huxley family lived at Huxley, Cheshire, from where they derived their name. The place-name Huxley is said to derive from the Old English personal name Hucc and the word leah, which means wood, or clearing.
Early Origins of the Huxley family
The surname Huxley was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat from ancient times as Lords of the Manor of Huxley. The main stem of this ancient family, however, lost most of the estates when, about 1330, Alice, daughter of John Huxley of Huxley married John de Birkenhead, an heiress who carried with her most of the family estates.
Early History of the Huxley family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Huxley research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1965 and 1968 are included under the topic Early Huxley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Huxley Spelling Variations
Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Huxley, Hucksley, Houxley and others.
Early Notables of the Huxley family
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was
Huxley migration to the United States +
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Huxley or a variant listed above were:
Huxley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Leversedge Huxley, who arrived in Nevis in 1670
Huxley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Mary Huxley and her husband arrived in New England in 1753
Huxley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Thomas Huxley, who arrived in New York in 1880
Huxley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- James Huxley, aged 31, who landed in America from Manchester, England, in 1908
- Frank Huxley, aged 24, who settled in America from Stefford, England, in 1909
- Frank Huxley, aged 24, who immigrated to the United States from Wallington, England, in 1911
- Ethelinda Huxley, aged 4, who immigrated to the United States from Croydon, England, in 1911
- Alice M. Huxley, aged 39, who immigrated to America, in 1911
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Huxley migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Huxley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mr. William Huxley, English convict who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Emperor Alexander"on 6th April 1833, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 1
- Miss Ann Huxley, (Paine), (b. 1792), aged 42, English cook who was convicted in Southwark, London, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Edward" on 23rd April 1834, arriving in Tasmania, (Van Diemen's Land), she died in 1863 listed as having 5 children 2
- Mr. John Huxley, (b. 1815), aged 22, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years for pick pocketing, transported aboard the "Charles Kerr" on 6th June 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he die din 1860 3
- Mr. Samuel Huxley, English convict who was convicted in Liverpool, Merseyside, England for 15 years, transported aboard the "Cressy" on 28th April 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
- Mary Huxley, English convict from Lancaster, who was transported aboard the "Angelina" on April 25, 1844, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 5
Huxley 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:
Huxley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- James Huxley, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Teviotdale" in 1875
- Thomas Huxley, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "British Empire" in 1880 6
Contemporary Notables of the name Huxley (post 1700) +
- Julian Sorell Huxley (1887-1975), English evolutionary biologist, humanist and internationalist awarded the Darwin Medal in 1956
- Thomas Henry Huxley PC, FRS (1825-1895), English biologist awarded the Darwin Medal in 1894
- Sir Andrew Fielding Huxley (1917-2012), English physiologist and biophysicist who won the 1963 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- Aldous Leonard Huxley (1894-1933), English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family possibly best known for his novel "Brave New World"
- Hugh Esmor Huxley (b. 1924), British professor of biology at Brandeis University. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1960 and won one of its Royal Medals in 1977 and its Copley Medal in 1997
- Sir Leonard George Holden Huxley KBE (1902-1988), Australian Elder Professor of Physics in the University of Adelaide from 1949 to 1960, and Vice-Chancellor from 1960 to 1967
- Selma Huxley Barkham OC ONL (1927-2020), née Huxley, English-born, Canadian historian and geographer who specialized in the maritime history of Canada and of the Basque Country
- A. Huxley Priebe, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Delegate to Michigan State Constitutional Convention from Wayne County 15th District, 1961
The Huxley 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: In Deo omnia
Motto Translation: In God are all things.
Citations +