Choice Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Buy JPG Image »

The surname Choice is derived from the personal names Josse or Goce. The name Choice is derived from the Latin word "gaudere" and is cognate in origin with the words joy and joyous. The personal names Josse and Goce were made popular by St. Josse the Hermit, who refused the sovereignty of Brittany. Joyce was used primarily as a female personal name, although some of the earlier instances were masculine. The Gaelic form of the surname Choice is Seoigh.

Choice Early Origins

PDF Coat of Arms
+ Extended History

PDF Coat of Arms + Extended Surname History

Buy PDF History »

The surname Choice was first found in Glamorganshire (Welsh: Sir Forgannwg), a region of South Wales, anciently part of the Welsh kingdom of Glywysing, where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Choice Spelling Variations

Church officials and medieval scribes often spelled early surnames as they sounded. This practice often resulted in many spelling variations of even a single name. Early versions of the name Choice included: Joyce, Joyes, Joy, Joice and others.

Choice Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Choice research. Another 201 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1172, 1487 and 1618 are included under the topic Early Choice History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Choice Early Notables (pre 1700)

Another 25 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Choice Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

In the mid-19th century, Ireland experienced one of the worst periods in its entire history. During this decade in order to ease the pressure of the soil, which was actually depleted by the effects of the previous years' grain crops, landowners forced tenant farmers and peasants onto tiny plots of land that barely provided the basic sustenance a family required. Conditions were worsened, though, by the population of the country, which was growing fast to roughly eight million. So when the Great Potato Famine of the mid-1840s hit, starvation and diseases decimated the population. Thousands of Irish families left the country for British North America and the United States. The new immigrants were often accommodated either in the opening western frontiers or as cheap unskilled labor in the established centers. In early passenger and immigration lists there are many immigrants bearing the name Choice:

Choice Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Helue Choice, aged 20, who landed in America from Spartemburg, S.C., in 1910
Robert Choice, aged 20, who emigrated to the United States, in 1923

Choice Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

James Thomas D. Choice, aged 18, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Brankenmoor" ^[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The BRANKEN MOOR 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849BrankenMoor.htm

Choice Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Charles Choice, aged 25, a shepherd, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oliver Lang" in 1856
Mary Choice, aged 26, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oliver Lang" in 1856

Contemporary Notables of the name Choice (post 1700)

Tashard J. Choice (b. 1984), American NFL football running back

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: Mors aut honorabilis vita
Motto Translation: Death, or life with honour.

Choice Family Crest Products

Citations

^ State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The BRANKEN MOOR 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849BrankenMoor.htm

Other References

Weis, Frederick Lewis, Walter Lee Sheppard and David Faris. Ancestral Roots of Sixty Colonists Who Came to New England Between 1623 and 1650 7th Edition. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0806313676).
Woulfe, Rev. Patrick. Irish Names and Surnames Collected and Edited with Explanatory and Historical Notes. Kansas City: Genealogical Foundation, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-940134-403).
Zieber, Eugene. Heraldry in America. Philadelphia: Genealogical Publishing Co. Print.
O'Hart, John. Irish Pedigress 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4).
Matthews, John. Matthews' American Armoury and Blue Book. London: John Matthews, 1911. Print.
Vicars, Sir Arthur. Index to the Prerogative Wills of Ireland 1536-1810. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co. Print.
Grehan, Ida. Dictionary of Irish Family Names. Boulder: Roberts Rinehart, 1997. Print. (ISBN 1-57098-137-X).
Skordas, Guest. Ed. The Early Settlers of Maryland an Index to Names or Immigrants Complied from Records of Land Patents 1633-1680 in the Hall of Records Annapolis, Maryland. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1992. Print.
MacLysaght, Edward. The Surnames of Ireland 3rd Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1978. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2278-0).
Woodham-Smith, Cecil. The Great Hunger Ireland 1845-1849. New York: Old Town Books, 1962. Print. (ISBN 0-88029-385-3).
...

The Choice Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Choice Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 26 September 2016 at 16:20.