Show ContentsHosie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Hosie

What does the name Hosie mean?

Hosie is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest brought to England in 1066. The Hosie family lived in Wiltshire. Their name, however, generally derives from the name of the area of Houssaye in the Seine-Maritime region of Normandy. Another equally valid but less common derivation shows that some in some cases the name finds its roots in the word hussey, which was a Old English nickname for a woman who was the head of her own household. "The surname is not to be associated with the modern meaning of hussy." 1

Looking again in Normandy, France, we found in the Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae, "Osbert de Hussey, who was living in 1180, was so named from le Hozu, a fief in the parish of Grand Quevilly near Rouen. One Henry de la Hosse or Heuze held, inter alias, the lands of Hosse." 2 It was "found written De la Hossé or Heuzé, De Hosa, and De Hoese," at that time. 3

Early Origins of the Hosie family

The surname Hosie was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where early Latin spellings of the name prevailed. Walter Hosed, William Hostus were both registered at that time. 4 Often, the name evolved to the name Hose as noted in 1225 where Hubert de Hoese (Hose or Hussey) was Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports (1235-c. 1241.)

"William Hosed or Hostus held Charlcomb, in Somersetshire, of Bath Abbey, as well as other manors in the county: and the first lords of Bath-Eaton were of this family." 5

Henry Hoese, Huse was listed as a Knights Templar in Oxfordshire in 1153 and 1185. Geoffrey Hoset (Hose) was recorded in the Pipe Rolls for Warwickshire in 1168 and later, William Hose, Huse was found in the Assize Rolls for Gloucestershire in 1221. 1

Of particular interest is that two sources, a visitation of Dorset in 1623 and a manuscript in ancient French said to have been in the Abbey of Glastonbury at its dissolution, both mention Hubert Husse, a Norman noble who married Countess Helen, daughter of Richard the 5th Duke of Normandy. Both mention he accompanied William the Conqueror to England and was granted the office of High Constable together with considerable possessions for his efforts during the Conquest. "Certain it is that the family of Hussey appears among the great landed proprietors at a very early period, and soon attained a distinguished position in various parts of the Kingdom." 6

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Geoffrey Husey and Reginald Husey as holding lands in Wiltshire at that time. 7

"Hussey is an ancient name in Somerset and Wiltshire, and further particulars concerning its origin will be found under 'Wiltshire.' From the mediaeval Huse probably come the Wiltshire name of Howse and the Somerset name of House. However, the Husseys of Wilts were a powerful family during the 14th century, and traced their ancestry back to the Husees, of whom it is said that the original ancestor came over with the Conqueror." 8

Little Wyrley in Staffordshire was also another ancient family seat. " Wyrley Grove is the ancient seat of the Husseys, who obtained it in marriage with the heiress of the family of Fowke: the mansion stands at the head of a fine lawn, and is a noble and picturesque specimen of ancient architecture." 9

Early History of the Hosie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hosie research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1180, 1265, 1294, 1295, 1332, 1466, 1495, 1503, 1534, 1537, 1585, 1597, 1611, 1626, 1640, 1641, 1642, 1645, 1648, 1651, 1656, 1657, 1664, 1691 and 1734 are included under the topic Early Hosie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hosie Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Hosie are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Hosie include Hussey, Houssey, Huzzy, Huzzey, Hose and others.

Early Notables of the Hosie family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Henry Hussey (1265-1332), Sheriff of Surrey and Sussex, created 1st Baron Hussey in 1295.Sir William Hussey or Huse (d. 1495), was Chief Justice and was probably a son of the Sir Henry Huse who received a grant of free warren in the manor of Herting in Sussex in the eighth year of Henry VI. 10John Hussey Lord Hussey (1466?-1537), was the eldest son of Sir William Hussey [q. v.], by Elizabeth his wife; he is referred to as a knight in his mother's will, which is dated in 1503. 10Sir...
Another 97 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hosie Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hosie family to Ireland

Some of the Hosie family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Hosie migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Hosie, or a variant listed above:

Hosie Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Henry Christian Hosie, who landed in Alabama in 1926 11

Hosie migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Hosie Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Hosie, (b. 1807), aged 34, Scottish settler from Inverness, Scotland departing on 8th July 1841 from Greenock, Scotland aboard the ship "New York Packet" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 23rd October 1841, he died in quarantine 12
  • Mrs. Margaret Hosie, (b. 1802), aged 39, Scottish servant from Inverness, Scotland departing on 8th July 1841 from Greenock, Scotland aboard the ship "New York Packet" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 23rd October 1841 13
  • Mr. William Hosie, (b. 1828), aged 13, Scottish settler from Inverness, Scotland departing on 8th July 1841 from Greenock, Scotland aboard the ship "New York Packet" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 23rd October 1841 14
  • Mr. Henry Hosie, (b. 1838), aged 3, Scottish settler from Inverness, Scotland departing on 8th July 1841 from Greenock, Scotland aboard the ship "New York Packet" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 23rd October 1841 15
  • Mr. Stanley Hosie, (b. 1839), aged 1 year 9 months, Scottish settler from Inverness, Scotland departing on 8th July 1841 from Greenock, Scotland aboard the ship "New York Packet" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 23rd October 1841 16
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hosie 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:

Hosie Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • James Hosie, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alfred The Great" in 1859

Contemporary Notables of the name Hosie (post 1700) +

  • Robert Hosie, Scottish-born, American soccer inside forward who played from 1920 to 1926
  • Alexander Lindsay Hosie (1890-1957), English cricketer
  • James Findlay Hosie CBE, English director of the Science Research Council, Sussex, England
  • Archibald Hosie (b. 1873), Australian rules footballer and coach for the Port Adelaide Football Club
  • Stewart Hosie (b. 1963), Scottish National Party (SNP) politician, Depute Leader of the Scottish National Party (2014-)
  • Paul Hosie (b. 1967), Australian cave diver, OZTek Australasian Diver of the Year (2003), Jeff Butt exploration award, Australian Speleological Federation (2007)


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  3. Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
  4. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  5. Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
  6. Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
  7. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  8. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  9. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  10. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  11. 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)
  12. Ship Voyages to New South Wales (Retrieved 18th November 2020). Retrieved from http://indexes.records.nsw.gov.au/ebook/list.aspx?Page=NRS5316/4_4782/New%20York%20Packet_23%20Oct%201841/4_478200095.jpg&No=64
  13. Ship Voyages to New South Wales (Retrieved 18th November 2020). Retrieved from http://indexes.records.nsw.gov.au/ebook/list.aspx?Page=NRS5316/4_4782/New%20York%20Packet_23%20Oct%201841/4_478200095.jpg&No=65
  14. Ship Voyages to New South Wales (Retrieved 18th November 2020). Retrieved from http://indexes.records.nsw.gov.au/ebook/list.aspx?Page=NRS5316/4_4782/New%20York%20Packet_23%20Oct%201841/4_478200095.jpg&No=66
  15. Ship Voyages to New South Wales (Retrieved 18th November 2020). Retrieved from http://indexes.records.nsw.gov.au/ebook/list.aspx?Page=NRS5316/4_4782/New%20York%20Packet_23%20Oct%201841/4_478200095.jpg&No=67
  16. Ship Voyages to New South Wales (Retrieved 18th November 2020). Retrieved from http://indexes.records.nsw.gov.au/ebook/list.aspx?Page=NRS5316/4_4782/New%20York%20Packet_23%20Oct%201841/4_478200095.jpg&No=68


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