Show ContentsHoskan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Hoskan is one of the oldest family names to come from the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from the name Os, which is a short form for several personal names, including Osgod, Osbeorn, and Osmær. Os is supplemented by the common diminutive suffix -kin. While early records almost all include the "O" prefix, over the years this was dropped and now we typically find the name with an "H" prefix. One source notes that the name could have been derived from the Dutch personal name, Huskens. 1

Early Origins of the Hoskan family

The surname Hoskan was first found in Lancashire at Heskin, a township, in the parish of Eccleston, union of Chorley, hundred of Leyland. "Heskin being a joint manor with Eccleston, descended with it from the Gernets and Dacres to the family of Molyneux, of Sefton." 2

Early London rolls included the two earliest records of the family. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1274 listed Osekin (without surname) and Robert Osekin. 3 4

Peter Osekyn was listed in the Feet of Fines of 1306 in Essex, and later Thomas Hoskyns was listed in Berkshire in 1463. 4

Early History of the Hoskan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hoskan research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1566, 1568, 1590, 1593, 1603, 1609, 1615, 1634, 1638, 1640, 1646, 1648, 1654, 1664, 1675, 1676, 1677, 1680, 1682, 1683, 1694, 1705, 1711, 1717, 1722, 1764 and 1767 are included under the topic Early Hoskan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hoskan Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Hoskan has undergone many spelling variations, including Hoskins, Hoskin, Hosken, Hoskyne, Hoskyns, Haskin, Haskins, Hasken, Haskyne and many more.

Early Notables of the Hoskan family

Notables of the family at this time include Serjeant John Hoskins (1566-1638), an English poet, scholar of Greek, and politician. He was born at Monton or Monkton, now known as Monnington-upon-Wye, in the parish of Llanwarne, Herefordshire, an estate of which his family had long possessed the leasehold interest and was the son of John Hoskins. 5 Jane Fenn Hoskens (1694-1764), was an English author and early immigrant to America. The Hoskyns of Harewood in the County of Hereford, is a title in the Baronetage of England. It was created on 18 December 1676 for Bennet Hoskyns, Member of Parliament for Wendover, Hereford...
Another 103 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hoskan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hoskan family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Hoskan were among those contributors: Bartholomew Hoskins settled in Virginia in 1626; John Hoskins and his family settled in Nantasket in 1630; Nicholas Hoskins and his family settled in Virginia in 1623.



The Hoskan 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: Finem respice
Motto Translation: Consider the end


  1. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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