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Wilcox Name Study

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Surnames/tags: Wilcox Wilcoxson Wilcockson
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Contents

Welcome to the Wilcox Name Study!

This is a One Name Study to collect together in one place everything about one surname and the variants of that name. The hope is that other researchers like you will join our study to help make it a valuable reference point for people studying lines that cross or intersect.
Please join by contacting the project leader, Heather. Post your questions and comments to the bulletin board and add details of your name research or particular area of interest.

Our Goals 

Let's bring together any descendants of the Wilcox family who are willing to work together to establish an accurate Wilcox Family tree by using the best possible sources available for documentation to make new connections. There are many spelling variations. We need to find out if any of those families with names spelled closely to our own are related.

How you can help

Studying the name Wilcox is easier if we can focus on a given area of interest. If you are interested in specific areas of this study, please join today! Simply post your area of interest regarding all there is about Wilcox. We need people that can help with:
  • DNA Connections
  • Name Origins
  • Notable Names
  • Heraldry
Start providing your details about the Wilcox family simply by joining One_Name_Studies and you will have access to this page.

DNA Connections

It's been said that those with the Wilcox name are highly regarded for their perky personalities. Common traits associated with Wilcox are that we can be egocentric, charismatic and elusive. Characteristic opinions about our surname might be fun and entertaining, but DNA comparisons can prove relations and are a reliable way to find branches of the family.
Because we have many spelling variations, we may find some Wilcox lines that are not related to the other. We can gather our information here for comparison and analysis. By themselves, Y-chromosome DNA (yDNA) short tandem repeat (STR) markers from a Y-DNA test do not have any particular meaning unless you can create a Y-DNA signature and compare it to others.
Are you interested in getting the most out of your DNA test results? Would you like to track our DNA characteristics? This project [1] displays Y-Chromosome DNA (Y-DNA) STR results for Wilcox DNA. If you would like to encourage others to add DNA results, join today so you can get started to educate us about our genetics.

Wilcox DNA Websites

  • Wilcox Family Tree DNA[2]
  • Wilcox DNA Project: Patriarchs [3]

English Antecedents

Fifteen generations of Wilcox families lived throughout England during the 1600’s. Of these, three lived in Hereford, seven lived in London, one in Bradon, one in Warwick, one in Salop, one in Hertford, one in Wilts and one in Bedminster.[1]
All of these individuals bear the name of the two-syllable form. The three-syllable form Wilcoxson, Wilcockson, Wilcoxon, etc. was comparatively rare in the Britain of that period and most references to it are confined to the County of Chester, in western England.[2]
Here you’ll find some details of the two-syllable Wilcox ancestry in England:
Mapping Wilcox Generations prior to 1600 England.
Shropshire: Yellow |Warwickshire: Gold |Leicestershire: Red |Rutland: Green | London: Magenta |Hertfordshire: Blue |Essex: Purple

Warwickshire

Warwick Castle
Warwickshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands of England. Commonly used abbreviations for the county are Warks or Warwicks. The county is bordered by Leicestershire to the northeast, Staffordshire to the northwest, Worcestershire and the West Midlands to the west, Northamptonshire to the east and southeast, Gloucestershire to the southwest and Oxfordshire to the south. The northern tip of the county is only 3 miles (5 km) from the Derbyshire border. [3]
A six generation pedigree of a Wilcox family lived here and were descended from Robert Wilcox of Brandon, Warwickshire. [4] Robert, Thomas, John and Richard were among the most common names given.

Hertfordshire 1634

Knebworth
Hertfordshire; abbreviated Herts; is a county in southern England, bordered by Bedfordshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Buckinghamshire to the west and Greater London to the south. [5]
John Wilcocks esq. of Hitchin; d. 2 mar 1636; son of William Wilcocks and Elizabeth[6] Brother of Martha Wilcocks; m. Sir Edward Radcliffe
Robert Willcock; freeholder at Therfeld, Odsey Hundred, circa 1700[7]
Arms were “azure: on a saltire ermine; a lion rampart gules”[8]

Essex prior to 1634

Audley End
Essex is a county in England, immediately north-east of London. It borders the counties of Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south and London to the south-west. [9]
Three generations of Wilcocks, originally of Shropshire or Salop lived here.[10]Names given frequently were Richard, Thomas, Nathaniel, George, Joane, Mary, Sarah and Dorcas.
Arms were “Argent, a lion rampart between three crescents sable.” Crest: “a demi-lion rampant sable, collared vair issuing from a mural coronet.”[11]

Shropshire 1623

Ludlow Castle
Shropshire; alternatively Salop, abbreviated, in print only; is a county located between West Midlands in England and Wales. It borders Powys and Wrexham in Wales to the west and north-west, Cheshire to the north, Staffordshire to the east, and Worcestershire to the south-east and Herefordshire to the south. [12]
Broseley: Wilkinson of Derral in Chester; following him were individuals of three successive generations dubbed “William Wilcocks alias Wilkinson.”[13] The most frequent given names were William, Richard, Thomas, Stephen, Elizabeth and Joane. Further investigation is needed on this Wilkinson line.
Arms were “Argent, a fesse between three cock’s heads, erased sable.”[14]
Pontesbury: Three generations of a Wilcocks family lived here.[15] Thomas, Richard, William and Hugh were the most common Christian names.

Leicestershire prior to 1623

Belvoir Castle
Leicestershire; abbreviation Leics, is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire to the south-east, Warwickshire to the south-west, Staffordshire to the west, and Derbyshire to the north-west. [16]
The pedigree of Wilcockes family were seated at Knossington for six generations prior to 1623. The first ancestor of this line styled himself “William Wilcocks of Knossington alias Hopkins. William married Margery, granddaughter an heiress of Sir Robert de Nowers.[17] The most common given names were William, Robert, Thomas and Roger. Further investigation is needed to determine the original paternal name of Nowers, Wilcockes or Hopkins.
Arms were “A chief checky, Or and Gules.” Crest: “A demi-eagle displayed argent ducally gorged Or.”[18]

London prior to 1620

City of London
London is a region of England based on London and it comprises 33 districts including the City of London. London is the capital and most populous city of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. On the River Thames in the south east of the island of Great Britain, and is historically split between Middlesex, Essex, Surrey, Kent, and Hertfordshire. [19]
Thomas Wilcox; b. 1549; d. 1608; non-conformist divine and author of “Puritan Manifestoes.” [20]
John Wilcocks of St. Botolph, Aldersgate, who was a haberdasher and married Kathrine Flanders on 5 may 1619. Another haberdasher from London was Robert Wilcocks, who died 4 May 1634.[21]
Thomas Wilcox; b. 1622; d. 1687; another Puritan minister who was the author of “A chance drop of honey from the Rock, Christ.”[22]

Rutland prior to 1618

Belvoir Castle
Rutland is a landlocked county in the East Midlands of England, bounded to the west and north by Leicestershire, to the northeast by Lincolnshire and the southeast by Northamptonshire. [23]
Four generations of a Wilcox family lived in Ashwell, Rutland County. [24] The most frequent names given were Robert, William, John, Gilbert, Charles, Elizabeth and Mary.
No arms are in connections with this family.[25]


Theories behind the Wilcox Name

Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling. This holds true to our very own name of Wilcox, or is it Willcocks?
Wilcock |Wilcocke |Wilcocks |Willcox |Wilcoxson |Wilcockson |Wilcockes |Willcocsonne|Wylcocks |Wilcott |Wilcoch |Wylcox |Wilkox |Wilcocen |Wylcocke |Wuilcox |Wyllcocke |Wilcote |Wilcookes
There are so many ways to spell Wilcox. We could go on and on and on and on...
Do you enjoy theorizing the meaning of our name? Perhaps you've found that 'cox' could have other meanings depending on the country it's found? If you'd like to add your thoughts, please add them here.
1. The derivative of William or Williams.
  • William was the Norman form of the personal name Wilhem
  • Composed of the Germanic elements "wil", meaning will or desire, and "helm", meaning protection
  • Derived from the elements “Will”, a short tern form of William, with the addition of hypocoristic suffix cock or cockes, meaning son of, and later transposed to "cox". [26]
2. Take the name at face value in modern English and assume it was derived from the male domestic fowl.
  • In the Middle Ages, the word -cock- was a generic term for a young man. It originally was applied to the young man who strutted proudly about (like the rooster), or was cock-sure of himself.
  • The name Wilcox is a compound name with the elements Will = pet form of William + cock = self-assured young man.
  • The name might have meant son of little Will. A story has been handed down that a "cocky" young man was greeted as "Well, old cock, how are you?" until the name stuck, spelled Wellcock. [27]
3. Reason that the first Wilcox was a cook, who’s Christian name was William and that this Will le coq passed his name on as Wilkokes.[28]
4. Willcocks is a given Christian name in Wales during the 14th and 15th centuries..[29]
  • An individual named Willcocks Craddock lived in Powys, Montgomeryshire about 1400.
  • We should note that 'Cox' is how the Welsh word Coch sounded to Englishmen.[30]
5. Will Coch, later written Willcocks, was purely a nickname. Coch, in Welsh signifies red and could literally mean Will, the Red.
  • If this is the case, Will Coch lived in Montgomeryshire, Wales in the thirteenth century.
  • This individual was of the ancient line of Welsh Kings and was known as Madoc Goch, William ap Griffith, Willcocks, William de la Pole, Lord of Mawddy, etc.
  • Coch was never given alone and the person addressed as Coch was invariably someone special, it had more the character of a title of honor. In Wales the name is written both Coch or Goch and was restricted to certain gifted scions of princely blood.

Notable Names

"Wilcox" was first recorded in the mid 13th century, and has many spelling forms. With all the variable ways to spell Wilcox, is there a common ancestor we can trace as the father of our surname?
Have you completed biographies of notable Wilcox persons already? Would you like to share your stories about Wilcox ancestors? Maybe you already have a link to some of these notable names? If this subject interests you, let's get you added to this project by contacting the project leader.
  • John Wilcokes was noted in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, Yorkshire (1316)
  • Wilcox Craddock of Powys, who was living around 1400. He is mentioned in an American book, Welsh Founders of Pennsylvania.
  • Captain John Wilcox, Gentleman, who came from Wales, issued no doubt from the Craddocks with whom many intermarriages are noted in Welsh pedigrees. From Pittman's Americans of Gentle Birth, Vol. I, Page 55.
  • Thomas Wilcox (1549 - 1608) was a puritan divine, and a minister in the city of London.
  • In a work called Sheriffs of Montgomeryshire, page 367, we find this statement: "William Wilcock, Lord of Mowddy, had a son Griffith, and a granddaughter Maud who had Sir Griffith Vaugn."
  • The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William Wylcock. This was dated 1254, in the Assize Court Rolls of the county of Somerset, during the reign of King Henry III, 1216 - 1272.

Coat of Arms

With the variety of spellings of our surname, we find variables in blazons that describe our coat of arms. I've created shield examples that contain our name so we can refer to them as we uncover the meaning and origin of Wilcox.
As I have been researching the meanings and placements of symbols, colors, fields, etc., I believe some of these shields may be misrepresented by artists taking liberty with original heraldry blazons. As with everything on the internet, we will need to verify our coat of arms and collect sources for the examples.
Does the Wilcox coat of arms interest you? Are you holding onto another example not listed and believe it could be another variation for our Wilcox ancestors? If you'd like to join in on this subject, please contact the project leader and you can get started today!
Escutcheon Example A
Chequy chief: Represents consistency and signifies dominion and authority
Ermine: Symbolizes purity, nobility and innocence
Escutcheon Example B
Chequy chief cadency: Represents consistency and signifies dominion and authority; points out other branches of the family and to their common ancestor
Ermine: Symbolizes purity, nobility and innocence
Escutcheon Example C
Chequy chief: Represents consistency and signifies dominion and authority
Ermine: Symbolizes purity, nobility and innocence
Escutcheon Example D
Centre Per Fess: Expresses alliance when halves are matched up with opposite half of the other
Demi lion with lion rampart: Symbolizes bravery, strength, ferocity, and valor
Escutcheon Example E
Vair chief: Symbol of great wealth and signifies dominion and authority
Lion Rampart: Symbolizes bravery, strength, ferocity, and valor
Crescent: One who has been honored by the sovereign; hope of greater glory
Escutcheon Example F
Vair chief: Symbol of great wealth and signifies dominion and authority
Lion Rampart: Symbolizes bravery, strength, ferocity, and valor
Crescent: One who has been honored by the sovereign; hope of greater glory
Escutcheon Example G
Vair chief: Symbol of great wealth and signifies dominion and authority; note only two lines instead of three
Lion Rampart: Symbolizes bravery, strength, ferocity, and valor
Crescent: One who has been honored by the sovereign; hope of greater glory
Escutcheon Example H
Quartered per cross: Express inheritance by female succession after her death
Fleur-de-lis: Represent those who worked, those who fought, and those who prayed
Escutcheon Example I
Three bendlets enhanced chief: Signifies defense or protection along with dominion and authority
Quartered per cross: Express inheritance by female succession after her death
Fleur-de-lis: Represent those who worked, those who fought, and those who prayed
Escutcheon Example J
Three bendlets cadency: Signifies defense or protection along with dominion and authority; points out other branches of the family and to their common ancestor
Quartered per cross: Express inheritance by female succession after her death
Fleur-de-lis: Represent those who worked, those who fought, and those who prayed
Escutcheon Example K
Lion Rampart: Symbolizes bravery, strength, ferocity, and valor
Cross Crosslet Fitchee: unshakable faith

Color Meanings

Gold: Signifies wisdom, generosity, glory, constancy and faith
Red: Signifies magnanimity, military strength, warrior and martyr
Blue: Signifies loyalty, chastity, truth, strength and faith
White: Signifies truth, sincerity, peace, innocence and purity
Black: Signifies wisdom, grief, constancy and prudence

Sources

  1. ↑ A preliminary report on the Descendants of William Wilcoxson https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89062464987;view=1up;seq=9
  2. ↑ A preliminary report on the Descendants of William Wilcoxson https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89062464987;view=1up;seq=9
  3. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warwickshire
  4. ↑ A preliminary report on the Descendants of William Wilcoxson https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89062464987;view=1up;seq=9
  5. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hertfordshire
  6. ↑ A preliminary report on the Descendants of William Wilcoxson https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89062464987;view=1up;seq=9
  7. ↑ A preliminary report on the Descendants of William Wilcoxson https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89062464987;view=1up;seq=9
  8. ↑ A preliminary report on the Descendants of William Wilcoxson https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89062464987;view=1up;seq=9
  9. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essex
  10. ↑ A preliminary report on the Descendants of William Wilcoxson https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89062464987;view=1up;seq=9
  11. ↑ A preliminary report on the Descendants of William Wilcoxson https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89062464987;view=1up;seq=9
  12. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shropshire
  13. ↑ A preliminary report on the Descendants of William Wilcoxson https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89062464987;view=1up;seq=9
  14. ↑ A preliminary report on the Descendants of William Wilcoxson https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89062464987;view=1up;seq=9
  15. ↑ A preliminary report on the Descendants of William Wilcoxson https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89062464987;view=1up;seq=9
  16. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leicestershire
  17. ↑ A preliminary report on the Descendants of William Wilcoxson https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89062464987;view=1up;seq=9
  18. ↑ A preliminary report on the Descendants of William Wilcoxson https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89062464987;view=1up;seq=9
  19. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London
  20. ↑ A preliminary report on the Descendants of William Wilcoxson https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89062464987;view=1up;seq=9
  21. ↑ A preliminary report on the Descendants of William Wilcoxson https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89062464987;view=1up;seq=9
  22. ↑ A preliminary report on the Descendants of William Wilcoxson https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89062464987;view=1up;seq=9
  23. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutland
  24. ↑ A preliminary report on the Descendants of William Wilcoxson https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89062464987;view=1up;seq=9
  25. ↑ A preliminary report on the Descendants of William Wilcoxson https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89062464987;view=1up;seq=9
  26. ↑ Last Name: Wilcox http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Wilcox#ixzz4DqzssbaG
  27. ↑ http://members.tripod.com/~MARK_DAMON_SMITH/GENEOLOG.HTM
  28. ↑ http://www.parsontech.com/genealogy/trees/cwilcox3/wilcox.htm
  29. ↑ A preliminary report on the Descendants of William Wilcoxson https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89062464987;view=1up;seq=9
  30. ↑ http://www.parsontech.com/genealogy/trees/cwilcox3/wilcox.htm




Images: 19
Escutcheon Example A
Escutcheon Example A
Escutcheon Example B
Escutcheon Example B
Escutcheon Example C
Escutcheon Example C
Escutcheon Example D
Escutcheon Example D
Escutcheon Example E
Escutcheon Example E
view all
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