Coxs History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Coxs

What does the name Coxs mean?

In Ireland, the name Coxs is generally derived from the Gaelic "Mac an Choiligh," which means "son of the cock or rooster;" the name was often Anglicized as Cox.

Early Origins of the Coxs family

The surname Coxs was first found in County Roscommon (Irish: Ros Comáin) located in central Ireland in the province of Connacht, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Coxs family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Coxs research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1558, 1650, 1675, 1733, 1770 and 1837 are included under the topic Early Coxs History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coxs Spelling Variations

Scribes and church officials, lacking today's standardized spelling rules, recorded names by how they were pronounced. This imprecise guide often led to the misleading result of one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname Coxs are preserved in documents of the family history. The various spellings of the name that were found include MacQuilly, McQuilly, MacQuilley, McQuilly, MacQuillie, McQuillie, Quilley, Quilly, Quillie, Cox, Coxe and many more.

Early Notables of the Coxs family

Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Coxs Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Coxs family

A massive wave of Irish immigrants hit North America during the 19th century. Although many early Irish immigrants made a carefully planned decision to leave left Ireland for the promise of free land, by the 1840s immigrants were fleeing a famine stricken land in desperation. The condition of Ireland during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s can be attributed to a rapidly expanding population and English imperial policies. Those Irish families that arrived in North America were essential to its rapid social, industrial, and economic development. Passenger and immigration lists have revealed a number of early Irish immigrants bearing the name Coxs: William McQuillie who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1804; Thomas Cox, who arrived in New York, NY in 1805; Andrew Cox, who arrived in Quebec in 1850.

The Coxs 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: Fide et fortitudine
Motto Translation: By fidelity and fortitude.