Show ContentsLowcok History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The lineage of the name Lowcok begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It is a result of when they lived in the village of Laycock in the West Riding of Yorkshire. [1] The surname was originally derived from the Old English words leah cocc, which refers to the meadow with the wild birds. [2]

Another Laycock is a parish, in the union and hundred of Chippenham, Chippenham and Calne in Wiltshire. [3] [4]

Lacock is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 and Lacock Abbey was founded on the manorial lands by Ela, Countess of Salisbury in 1232.

Early Origins of the Lowcok family

The surname Lowcok was first found in Laycock, now a a suburb of the town of Keighley in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The first record of the family dates back to the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 where Johanna Lakkoc; Johannes de Laccok; and Thomas de Lacokke were each listed. [5]

Because of the proximity to the Scottish border, records in Scotland were found as early as 1492 when William Laicok was vicar of Retre (Rattray.) Later John Lacok canon of Dunkeld, was auditor of accounts of the bishopric between 1505 and 1517. [1]

Early History of the Lowcok family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lowcok research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1685 and 1648 are included under the topic Early Lowcok History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lowcok 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 Lowcok has undergone many spelling variations, including Lacock, Laycock, Leacock and others.

Early Notables of the Lowcok family (pre 1700)

More information is included under the topic Early Lowcok Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lowcok 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 Lowcok were among those contributors: Robert Laycock arrived in Barbados in 1635; Adam, David, Hugh, James, John, Martha, and William Laycock all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860..



The Lowcok 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: Verus honor honestas
Motto Translation: Truth, honour and honesty.


  1. 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)
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)


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