Show ContentsFilcox History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Filcox

What does the name Filcox mean?

Filcox is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Filcox comes from the name Phillipot, which is a version of the ancient given name Phillip. Phillip derives from the Greek name Phillipos, which derives from the words philein, meaning to love, and hippos, meaning horse.

Early Origins of the Filcox family

The surname Filcox was first found in Herefordshire where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

One of the earliest records of the family was that of Sir John Philpot, Phelipot (died 1384.) He was Mayor of London, but was a native of Kent. He became a member of the Grocers' Company of London where one of the earliest members was Phelypot Farnham. 1

Early History of the Filcox family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Filcox research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1378, 1516, 1555, 1588, 1589, 1600, 1601, 1624, 1640, 1645 and 1682 are included under the topic Early Filcox History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Filcox Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Phillpott, Phillpotts, Phillpot, Phillpots, Philpot, Philpots, Philpott and many more.

Early Notables of the Filcox family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Philpot (1516-1555), English prelate, Archdeacon of Winchester, third son of Sir Peter Philpot, born at Compton, Hampshire; Sir John Phillpott (1589-1645), Somerset herald, son of Henry Philpot and his wife. The Journal of the House of Lords, Volume 3: 20 May 1624 states that "Sir John Phillpott, Knight, is certified to be a Captain of a Foot Company in Hampshire; and that he and his Wife and his Children are Papists." Thomas Philpot (died 1682) was a poet and miscellaneous writer, son of John Philipot, the Somerset herald. 1 Roger Filcock (d. 1601), was...
Another 114 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Filcox Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Filcox family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Filcox or a variant listed above were: Henry Philpot settled in Virginia in 1607; Phillip and John Philpott, who arrived in Barbados in 1634; Margaret Phillpot who settled in Virginia in 1654 with her husband.



  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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