Wilcox History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 
  Scotland 


The earliest origins of the name Wilcox date back to the time of the Anglo-Saxons. The name is derived from William or Wilhelm. Tracing the origin of the name further, we found the name Wilcox was originally derived from the Germanic elements will, meaning resolve, helm, meaning protection, and cock or cox, an affectionate or diminutive suffix commonly used in ancient times. With the additional suffix, cox, the name was taken to mean the son of little William. 1

Early Origins of the Wilcox family

The surname Wilcox was first found in Lancashire where one of the first records of the name was listed simply as Wilcok with no personal name in the Assize Rolls of that shire in 1246. Wilcoc was listed in the Assize Rolls of Cheshire in 1286 and William Wylecok was listed in Somerset in the Assize Rolls of 1254. Quite of few of the family were found in Yorkshire as shown by John Wilcokes who was listed there in 1316. 2

By the time of the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, there were numerous entries for the name including those with the "son" extension: Richard Wilokson; Adam Wylkokson; Raddulfus Wycok; and Willelmus Wilkocson. 3

Further to the north in Scotland, entries for the family were later. "Adam Willicok was admitted burgess of Aberdeen in 1578, and Alexander Willicok in Fechill was bewitched in 1597. " 4

Early History of the Wilcox family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wilcox research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1480, 1515, 1541, 1549, 1558, 1562, 1566, 1585, 1588, 1600, 1608, 1673, 1723, 1724, 1736, 1756, 1791 and 1929 are included under the topic Early Wilcox History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wilcox Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Wilcox include Wilcox, Wilcocks, Willock, Wallock and others.

Early Notables of the Wilcox family

Distinguished members of the family include

Wilcox Ranking

In the United States, the name Wilcox is the 501st most popular surname with an estimated 57,201 people with that name. 5 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Wilcox is ranked the 726th most popular surname with an estimated 9,240 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Wilcox family to Ireland

Some of the Wilcox family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Wilcox migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled 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 ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Wilcox or a variant listed above:

Wilcox Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Wilcox Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Wilcox Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Wilcox migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wilcox Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Wilcox Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Wilcox migration to Australia +

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

Wilcox Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Wilcox 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:

Wilcox Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Wilcox (post 1700) +


Suggested Readings for the name Wilcox +
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