Willcox History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
It was among those Anglo-Saxon tribes that once ruled over Britain that the name Willcox was formed. The name was derived from William or Wilhelm. Tracing the origin of the name further, we found the name Willcox 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 Willcox family
The surname Willcox 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 Willcox family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Willcox 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 Willcox History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Willcox Spelling Variations
Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Willcox include Wilcox, Wilcocks, Willock, Wallock and others.
Early Notables of the Willcox family
Distinguished members of the family include
- Robert Willcox (1558-1588), was an English Catholic martyr (one of the Oaten Hill Martyrs) who was hung, drawn and quartered; he was beatified by Pope Pius XI in 1929
Willcox Ranking
In the United States, the name Willcox is the 10,273rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5
Migration of the Willcox family to Ireland
Some of the Willcox 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.
Willcox migration to the United States +
Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Willcox were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:
Willcox Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Abigael Willcox, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1683-1684 6
- Barnaby Willcox, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1683-1684 6
- Joseph Willcox, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1683-1684 6
- Sarah Willcox, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1683-1684 6
Willcox migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Willcox Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
- Mr. Elisha Willcox Sr., U.E., (Willcocks, Wilcox) (b. 1728) born in New York, USA who settled in Colchester [Essex], Essex County, Ontario c. 1784 he served in Butler's Rangers under Capt. William Caldwell's Company, married to Amy Planter in 1774 having 8 children, he died in 1795 7
- Mr. Hezekiah Willcox U.E. born in New York, USA who settled in Raleigh Township [Chatham-Kent], Ontario c. 1784 married to Sarah Brown having 6 children, he died in 1851 7
Willcox 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:
Willcox Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Mr. John Willcox, (b. 1860), aged 5, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 1st January 1866 8
- Miss Emma Willcox, (b. 1855), aged 10, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 1st January 1866 8
- Miss Elizabeth Willcox, (b. 1854), aged 11, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 1st January 1866 8
- Miss Jane M. Willcox, (b. 1853), aged 12, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 1st January 1866 8
- Miss Mary Willcox, (b. 1827), aged 38, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 1st January 1866 8
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Contemporary Notables of the name Willcox (post 1700) +
- William R. Willcox, American Republican politician, Postmaster at New York City, New York, 1904-07 9
- Washington Frederick Willcox (1834-1909), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Connecticut State Senate 19th District, 1875-76; U.S. Representative from Connecticut 2nd District, 1889-93 9
- Mrs. O. Blake Willcox, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from New Jersey, 1956 9
- Lyman G. Willcox, American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1900 9
- C. M. C. Willcox, American politician, Member of Missouri State House of Representatives from Adair County, 1915-16 9
- Breckinridge L. Willcox, American politician, U.S. Attorney for Maryland, 1986-91 9
- Mr. Edward Michael George Willcox M.B.E., British Major for the Royal Welsh, recipient of Member of the Order of the British Empire on 8th June 2018 10
Citations +
- Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- 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)
- "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)
- Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 12) . 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