Show ContentsPoching History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Poching

What does the name Poching mean?

Poching is one of the names carried to England in the great wave of migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest in 1066. It is based on the Norman-French given name Pocin.

Early Origins of the Poching family

The surname Poching was first found in Leicestershire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Barkby. At the time of the taking of the Domesday Book, 1 a survey initiated in 1086 A.D., by Duke William of Normandy after his conquest of England in 1066, the village and Mill of Barkby was held by Leofric, an under-tenant, from Adelaide, the wife of Hugh de Grandesnil. However, in early times the estates were held by Walter Power, who had a daughter who married Peter Lincoln. The latter also had a daughter, Anne, who married William Willoughby, who also had a daughter, Alice, who married Richard Pochin and thenceforth the Pochins held Barkby. The name Pochin is derived from the Norman French Pocin but the relationship between the original Norman settlers at Barkby and Pochin is tenuous.

Early History of the Poching family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Poching research. Another 133 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1647, 1687, 1711, 1756 and 1828 are included under the topic Early Poching History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Poching Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Pochin, Pocin, Pochen, Poching, Poaching, Pockin, Pochen, Pocken, Pochine, Pochinko and many more.

Early Notables of the Poching family

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

Migration of the Poching family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Poching or a variant listed above: William Pockin who landed in North America in 1720.



  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)


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