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Show ContentsHotchess History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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The Anglo-Saxon name Hotchess comes from the baptismal name Roger which was nicknamed Hodge. 1 As the naming tradition grew in Europe baptismal names began to be introduced in many countries. Baptismal names were sometimes given in honour of Christian saints and other biblical figures. There are very few Christian countries in Europe that did not adopt surnames from these religious figures.

Early Origins of the Hotchess family

The surname Hotchess was first found in Lincolnshire where Hogge (with no forename) was recorded in the Feet of Fines for 1208 and later in the Curia Regis Rolls for Cumberland in 1212. These entries may be for the same person or not. William Hogge was listed in Cornwall in 1297 and Alicia Hogges was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Somerset in 1327. 2 Robert Hogge was listed in the Assize Rolls for Lancashire in 1284. 3

In Yorkshire, the first records of the name were found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. That rolls had a multitude of listings including: Johannes Hodgeson; Thomas Hogge; Johannes Hoggeson; Ebbota Hoggese, and Ricardus Hoge. The last entry was listed as a servant of Roger (Hodge.) 1

Further to the north in Scotland, the first entries for the family were quite late: "Laurence Hoige, witness in Glasgow, 1550 (Protocols, I). Mariota Hodge is recorded in Edinburgh in 1625 (Retours, Edinburgh, 545), and Thomas Hodge was merchant burgess there in 1629. Thomas Hodgis was burgess of Glasgow in 1487. " 4

Early History of the Hotchess family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hotchess research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1120, 1267, 1625, 1629, 1645, 1664, 1665, 1688, 1703, 1714 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Hotchess History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hotchess 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 Hotchess has appeared include Hodge, Hodges and others.

Early Notables of the Hotchess family

Notables of the family at this time include Nathaniel Hodges M.D. (1629-1688), an English physician, known for his work during the Great Plague of London and his written account entitled Loimologia. He was the son of Dr. Thomas Hodges, vicar of Kensington, and was born in that parish on 13 September 1629. "When the plague raged in London in 1665, he remained in residence, and attended all who sought his advice. During the Christmas holidays of 1664-5 he saw a few doubtful...
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hotchess Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Hotchess family to Ireland

Some of the Hotchess family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hotchess family

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 Hotchess arrived in North America very early: John Hodge settled in Barbados in 1695; John Hodge settled in Maine in 1623; another John Hodge settled in New Jersey in 1685; Benjamin Hodges settled in Maryland in 1633.

The Hotchess 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: Dant lucem crescentibus orti
Motto Translation: Rising from the crescents they give light.
  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  4. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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