Show ContentsBuckthought History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Buckthought

What does the name Buckthought mean?

Buckthought is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in the region of Buchholz or dweller near a beech grove where it is of German origin. The surname was later adopted in England after the 12th century.

Early Origins of the Buckthought family

The surname Buckthought was first found in Yorkshire, where they held a family seat from the Middle Ages.

Early History of the Buckthought family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Buckthought research. Another 177 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1500 and 1700 are included under the topic Early Buckthought History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Buckthought Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Buckthought family name include Bucktrout, Buktrowte, Bucktrowte, Buktrout and many more.

Early Notables of the Buckthought family

More information is included under the topic Early Buckthought Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Buckthought 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:

Buckthought Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Philip Buckthought, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
  • Mrs. Anna Buckthought, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th December 1851 1
  • Mr. Phillip Buckthought, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th December 1851 1
  • Augusta Buckthought, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Caroline Coventry" in 1869 2
  • Augusta Buckthought, (b. 1851), aged 18, Cornish general servant departing on 25th February 1869 aboard the ship "Caroline Coventry" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 8th June 1869 3


  1. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  2. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 5th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  3. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Lyttelton 1858-84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf


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