Picot History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:

England

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Picot is one of the names carried to England in the great wave of migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest in 1066. It is based on the Old English given name Picot or Pigot. The surname Picot was originally derived from the Old English word pic, meaning a hill with a sharp point at its top, and would originally have indicated that its bearer lived near such a landmark.

"Picot was a personal name is clear, for Picot, a chief tenant in Hampshire, and Picot de Grentebrig', both occur in Domesday [Book]. It is curious, too, to observe that two families in Cheshire, the Pigots and Pichots, ran side by side for some generations, and Dr. Ormerod long ago surmised that both sprang from one common ancestor - Gilbert Pichot, Lord of Broxton." 1

Another source notes that "the name of Pickett may be a corruption of Pickard, though we must remember that there is an estate of this name in the parish of South Perrott, Dorset." 2

Early Origins of the Picot family

The surname Picot was first found in Cheshire and Cambridgeshire where Picot of Cambridge (c.1022-1090), born in Saye, Normandy, was a Norman landowner and rose to become Sheriff of Cambridgeshire (c. 1071-1090.) His son Robert, became implicated in a conspiracy against King Henry I, fled the country and the family estates were forfeit. 3 "Pygot occurs in Leland's supposed copy of the Roll of Battle Abbey." 4

The Lincolnshire Survey listed Picotus de Laceles, temp. 1109 and later the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Picot de Flexbergh, Wiltshire; Elis Pyket, Buckinghamshire; and Walter Pycot, Cambridgeshire. 1

Another reference claims "the family originally came from Cheshire; William Pigott of Butley in the parish of Prestbury in that county, who died in 1376, was grandfather of Richard Pigott of Butley who married the heiress of Peshall." 5

Early History of the Picot family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Picot research. Another 208 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1109, 1210, 1333, 1630, 1640, 1645, 1657, 1686, 1697, 1713, 1716, 1719, 1720, 1734, 1777 and 1796 are included under the topic Early Picot History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Picot Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Pigott, Piggot, Piggett, Piggott, Piggot, Pigot, Picot and many more.

Early Notables of the Picot family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Thomas Pigot (Pigott, Piggott) (1657-1686), an English cleric, academic and Fellow of the Royal Society; George Pigot, 1st Baron Pigot (1719-1777), former...
Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Picot Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Picot Ranking

In France, the name Picot is the 375^th most popular surname with an estimated 11,159 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Picot family to Ireland

Some of the Picot family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Picot migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Picot or a variant listed above:

Picot Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Elias Picot, who arrived in Boston in 1723
Marguerite Picot, an Acadian exile on record in Massachusetts in 1755

Picot Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Marie Joseph Charles Picot, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1826
Toussaint Picot, who arrived in New Orleans in 1826
Manuel Picot, aged 30, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1830 7
A. Picot who settled in San Francisco, California in 1852
Carole Picot, aged 20, who landed in New York in 1854 7

Picot migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Picot Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Jacques Picot, who settled in Montreal in 1652
Robert Picot, who arrived in Quebec in 1653

Picot Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Jean Picot, who settled in Canada in 1731

Picot Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Charles Picot, who settled in Quebec in 1809

Contemporary Notables of the name Picot (post 1700) +

Fernand Picot (1930-2017), French professional racing cyclist who rode in eight editions of the Tour de France
Étienne Guillaume Picot de Bazus, French Divisional General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 8
Brian Picot, New Zealand businessman, member of the Picot task force set up by the New Zealand government in July 1987 to review the school system
Patrick Picot (1951-1980), French gold medalist fencer at the 1980 Summer Olympics
Philippe-Isidore Picot (1744-1818), French naturalist
Olga Georges Picot (1940-1997), Shanghai-born, French actress who has been featured in movies like The Day of the Jackal (1973), Love and Death (1975) and The Man Who Haunted Himself (1970)
Auguste Marie Henri Picot (1756-1793), Marquis de Dampierre, a general of the French Revolution
François Marie Denis Picot (1870-1951), son of historian Georges Picot
Hajnalka Kiraly Picot (b. 1971), French gold and bronze medalist fencer
Georges Picot (1838-1909), French historian and lawyer
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Picot 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: Tout foys prest
Motto Translation: Always ready.