Voyse History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

Etymology of Voyse

The distinguished surname Voyse is one of the many to have come to England in the wake of the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name is derived from "Voise," the name of a place in the Eure-et-Loir region of France. It is likely that the first bearer of this name in England was one who had emigrated from the village of Voise. 1

Alternatively, the name could have originated from the word "vose," meaning "a ditch, entrenchment, wall, fortification," from the Latin word "fossa." 2

Early Origins of the Voyse family

Early History of the Voyse family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Voyse research. Another 155 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1435, 1647, 1660, 1674 and 1722 are included under the topic Early Voyse History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Voyse Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Voice, Voyce, Foyce, Voise, Voyse and others.

Early Notables of the Voyse family

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

Migration of the Voyse family

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Voyse or a variant listed above: Jonathan Voyce, who immigrated to Virginia in 1638; William Voyce, who arrived in Barbados in 1679; Jane Voice, who settled in Charleston, South Carolina in 1767.