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

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Wilcocks is an ancient Anglo-Saxon surname that came from William or Wilhelm. Tracing the origin of the name further, we found the name Wilcocks was originally derived from the Germanic elements will, meaning resolve, helm, meaning protection, and cock or cox, an affectionate or diminutive suffix commonly used in ancient times. With the additional suffix, cox, the name was taken to mean the son of little William. 1

Early Origins of the Wilcocks family

The surname Wilcocks was first found in Lancashire where one of the first records of the name was listed simply as Wilcok with no personal name in the Assize Rolls of that shire in 1246. Wilcoc was listed in the Assize Rolls of Cheshire in 1286 and William Wylecok was listed in Somerset in the Assize Rolls of 1254. Quite of few of the family were found in Yorkshire as shown by John Wilcokes who was listed there in 1316. 2

By the time of the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, there were numerous entries for the name including those with the "son" extension: Richard Wilokson; Adam Wylkokson; Raddulfus Wycok; and Willelmus Wilkocson. 3

Further to the north in Scotland, entries for the family were later. "Adam Willicok was admitted burgess of Aberdeen in 1578, and Alexander Willicok in Fechill was bewitched in 1597. " 4

Early History of the Wilcocks family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wilcocks research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1480, 1515, 1541, 1549, 1558, 1562, 1566, 1585, 1588, 1600, 1608, 1673, 1723, 1724, 1736, 1756, 1791 and 1929 are included under the topic Early Wilcocks History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wilcocks Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Wilcocks has been recorded under many different variations, including Wilcox, Wilcocks, Willock, Wallock and others.

Early Notables of the Wilcocks family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Joseph Willcocks (1673-1756), was an English divine, Bishop of Gloucester and later Bishop of Rochester. Born on 19 Dec. 1673, he was the son of Joseph Wilcocks, a physician of Bristol. His only son...

Ireland Migration of the Wilcocks family to Ireland

Some of the Wilcocks family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

United States Wilcocks migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Wilcocks or a variant listed above:

Wilcocks Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Michael, John, and Maudlin Wilcocks, who settled in Virginia in 1623
  • Mandlin Wilcocks, who landed in Virginia in 1623 5
  • Michaell Wilcocks, who landed in Virginia in 1623 5
  • John Wilcocks, who arrived in Virginia in 1643 5
  • Tho Wilcocks, who arrived in Virginia in 1643 5
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Wilcocks Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Eliza Wilcocks, who landed in Virginia in 1700 5
  • Sarah Wilcocks, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1737 5
Wilcocks Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • B Wilcocks, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 5

Canada Wilcocks migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wilcocks Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Danl Wilcocks, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1760
  • Benjamin Wilcocks, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1761
  • Mrs. Catherine Wilcocks U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway, [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on December 13, 1783 was passenger number 506 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14 1783 at East River, New York, USA 6
  • Miss. Elizabeth Wilcocks D.U.E. (b. 1772), aged 11 who arrived at Port Roseway, [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on December 13, 1783 was passenger number 575 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14 1783 at East River, New York, USA 6
  • Mr. Thomas Wilcocks S.U.E. (b. 1771), aged 12 who arrived at Port Roseway, [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on December 13, 1783 was passenger number 574 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14 1783 at East River, New York, USA 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Wilcocks migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Wilcocks Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Wilcocks, English convict who was convicted in Devon, England for life, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 13th March 1828, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
  • Mr. William Wilcocks, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Florentia" on 11th August 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
  • William Wilcocks, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lysander" in 1840 9
  • Margery Wilcocks, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Duke of Bedford" in 1848 10
  • Richard Wilcocks, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Duke of Bedford" in 1848 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Wilcocks migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Wilcocks Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • William Wilcocks, aged 26, a labourer, who arrived in Otago aboard the ship "Mariner" in 1849
  • Janet Wilcocks, aged 27, who arrived in Otago aboard the ship "Mariner" in 1849
  • James Wilcocks, aged 2, who arrived in Otago aboard the ship "Mariner" in 1849
  • Joshua Wilcocks, aged 20, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "City of Auckland" in 1872
  • Mr. Alfred Wilcocks, (b. 1858), aged 19, Cornish farm labourer departing on 24th August 1877 aboard the ship "Waitara" going to Marlborough, New Zealand arriving in port on 4th December 1877 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

West Indies Wilcocks migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 12
Wilcocks Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Nico Wilcocks, aged 21, who arrived in St Christopher in 1635 5
  • Mr. Nicholas Wilcocks, (b. 1614), aged 21, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Matthew" arriving in St Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635 13

Contemporary Notables of the name Wilcocks (post 1700) +

  • James Smith Wilcocks, American politician, U.S. Consul in Mexico City, 1823-33 14
  • Rear Admiral Philip Lawrence Wilcocks CB, DSC, DL (1953-2023), British senior Royal Navy officer who served as Rear Admiral Surface Ships
  • Charles Wilcocks, Pathologist
HMS Hood
  • Mr. Eric C Wilcocks (b. 1922), English Able Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from West Croydon, Surrey, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 15
  1. Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  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. 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)
  5. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  6. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
  9. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LYSANDER 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840Lysander.htm
  10. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) DUKE OF BEDFORD 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848DukeofBedford.htm
  11. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to other ports, 1872 - 84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
  12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  13. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's (Retrieved October 4th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  14. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  15. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
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