Hancoke History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Anglo-Saxon name Hancoke comes from from the baptismal name for the son of John, which was originally derived from the diminutive form Hann, a popular English name derived from the Flemish Hann, when translated means John. The suffix cock was added to the surname to indicate familiarity.

Early Origins of the Hancoke family

The surname Hancoke was first found in Yorkshire where one of the first records of the name was Hanecock Birunc who was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Warynus Hancok, Robert Hancok, Willelmus Hancok and Agnes Hankok as all living in Yorkshire at that time. 1

Farther south in Devon, John Hancock was Warden of St Mary's College, Ottery St Mary in 1446.

Early History of the Hancoke family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hancoke research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1631, 1654, 1676, 1692, 1693, 1699, 1701, 1703, 1707, 1714, 1721, 1723, 1726, 1737, 1772, 1792, 1793 and 1820 are included under the topic Early Hancoke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hancoke Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Hancoke has appeared include Hancock, Hancox, Hancocks, Hancocke, Handcock and others.

Early Notables of the Hancoke family

Notables of the family at this time include John Hancock (1737-1793), president of the Continental Congress, the first signer of the American Declaration of Independence. Because his signature was so legible, the expression "John Hancock" meaning signature evolved.Crang & Hancock, were noted organ builders. John Crang, a Devonshire man, settled in London and became a partner with Hancock, a good voicer of reeds. The latter added new reeds to many of Father Smith's...
Another 72 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hancoke Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hancoke family to Ireland

Some of the Hancoke family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 96 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hancoke migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Hancoke arrived in North America very early:

Hancoke Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Hancoke, who landed in Virginia in 1639 2
Robert Hancoke, who arrived in Virginia in 1663 2

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)