User:Dr Roy Cox

ORIGIN OF THE BRITISH SURNAME “COX” Researched by Dr. Roy Cox, Berry, NSW 2535, Australia References: (1) Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press (etymological derivation of the surname Cox), (2)Domesday Book, 1086, The National Archives, UK (comprises the Little Domesday Book, covering Essex, Norfolk & Suffolk and the Great Domesday Book,covering most of the remainder of England), (3)The National Archives, UK (Online database) SURNAMES:In Britain surnames are generally derived from one of four sources: 1.Patrynomic (from the first name of the father, eg. Johnson, Peterson), 2.Place/Locality (eg. Hill, Moore, Wood), 3.Occupation (eg. Cooper, Smith, Taylor, Weaver) and 4.Nicknames (eg. Armstrong, Sharp). Surnames first came into common usage in England during the reign of King William 1 (1066-1087 AD) to aid the collection of tax. SURNAME COX: Alternative spelling COCKS; variants COXE, COCK, COCKE, COXALL, COXON) Over the past three hundred years COX has been the most common spelling, although COCKS has identical pronunciation. The modern spelling of the surname COX is derived from Middle English (approx. 1100-1500 AD) “COCK” and from Old English (approx. 400-1100 AD) “COCC”; cognate with/derived from Old Norse (700-1300 AD) “KOKKR” – the leader or chief person (captain) in charge of a (Viking) boat/longship and its crew (reference: Oxford English Dictionary). The Vikings (Old English “wicing”, cognate with/derived from Old Norse “vikingr” - a free-booter, pirate) raided the coasts of the British Isles (and most of continental Europe too) during the 9th and 10th centuries AD. After the initial pirate raids many Vikings later settled in the British Isles (especially along the fertile eastern seaboard and inland along the main rivers, easily navigable by their fast, shallow-draft, sea-going longships). They became well established over large areas (especially the former Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms of Northumbria, York and East Anglia and the five Boroughs of Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Stamford and Lincoln) where their customs and law prevailed almost up until the Norman Conquest of 1066 AD. These Viking-controlled areas were known as the Danelaw (Old English "Dena lagu"). Some of the earliest recorded occurrences of the surname COX are: 1. 1086 AD- Leofric Cocc, of Suffolk (Reference: Domesday Book, 1086 AD - Folio 314r, Little Domesday Book, Catalogue Reference E31/1/3). His name appears in the records for 13 Suffolk villages – Darsham (“Dersam”), Fordley (“Fordlea”), Holton (“Holetuna”), Leiston (“Ledestuna”), Linstead Parva and Linstead Magna (“Linesteda”), Minsmere (“Mensemara”), Peasenhall (“Pesehala”), Stratton (“Stattuna”), Theberton (“Thewardetuna”), Westleton (“Westetuna”), Withersdale (“Weresdel”) and “Wrabbatuna” (unknown location). 2. 1086 AD - Alwine Coc, the beadle, of Cambridgeshire (Reference: Domesday Book, 1086 AD – Folio 190r, Great Domesday Book, Catalogue Reference E31/2/1). His name appears for 17 Cambridgeshire villages – Abington Piggots and Great Abington (“Abintone”), Babraham (“Badburnham”), Bassingbourn (“Basingborne”), Cambridge (“Grantebrige”), Clopton in Croydon (“Cloptune”), Fen Drayton (“Draitone”), Fulbourn (“Fuleberne”), Great Chesterford (Cestreforde”), Great Shelford (“Escelforde”), Hinxton (“Histetune”), Histon (“Histone”), Ickleton (“Ichelintone”), Litlington (“Lidlintone”), Madingley (“Madinglei”), Newport (“Neuport”) and Steeple Morden (“Mordune”). Note: a beadle was a parish church officer (derived from Middle English “bedel”, from Old English “bydel”). 3. 1086 AD - Cock-Hagni Ealdwig, the priest, of Norfolk (Reference: Domesday Book, 1086 AD - Folio 179r, Little Domesday Book, Catalogue Reference E31/1/2). His name appears in the records for 7 Norfolk villages – Burnham (“Bruneham”), Field Dalling (“Dalliga”), Hingham (“Ahincham”), Mileham (“Muleham”), North Creake/South Creake (“Creic), Quarles (“Gueruelei) and Yaxham (“Jachesham”). 4. 1200 AD – William Kok, witness, of Holecote, Northamptonshire (Reference: Ancient Deeds, Series B E 326/1579 &1580, The National Archives, UK 5. 1212 AD – Walter le Kok, of East Yorkshire (Reference: Gift in pure widowhood DDCC/130/231, The National Archives, UK) 6. 1251 AD – Richard Koc, of Bramshall, Staffordshire, and a witness Richard Kok (Reference: Information relating to document D(W)1733/A/2/43, The National Arhives, UK). 7. 1250-1260 AD – Rob le Kok, of Bedford, Bedfordshire (Reference: Information relating to Document BOR B/E2/8, The National Archives, UK) 8. 1290 AD – John Kok, of Bath, Somerset (Reference: Ancient Deeds, Grant BC 151/5/8, The National Archives, UK) 9. 1290-1305 AD – William Cock, butcher of London (Reference: Ancient Petitions, Document SC/8/326/E720, The National Archives, UK) 10. 1307 AD – Kok (Cock) of Somerset. (Reference: Ancient Petitions, Document 8/295/14705, The National Archives, UK) 11. 1330 AD – William Cocc of Newport, Gloucestershire (References: File GC2697, Berkeley Castle Muniments, 1330 AD; & The National Archives document reference no. BCM/A/1/60/24) The Domesday Book is the record of the great survey of England completed in 1086 for William the Conqueror. One of the main purposes of the survey was to determine who held what in order to ascertain what tax people should pay to the new king. The name Domesday is derived from Middle English "dome" and from Old English "dom"; cognate with/derived from Old Norse "domr", meaning "reckoning" or "accounting". Thus domesday, or doomsday, is literally a day of reckoning. The three entries in the Domesday Book (items 1-3 above), covering the Old English language period, show the surname spelt in three different ways! (Cocc, Coc and Cock). Similarly, the other historic records (items 4-11 above), covering the Middle English language period, show four different spellings (Kok, Koc, Cocc and Cock). This small sample of historic records indicates just how variable the spelling of one surname has been over a period of about 250 years (1086-1330 AD) and over a wide range of geography and regional dialects within England. These variations in spelling reflect the slow transition of the Anglo-Saxon (Old English) language into Middle English under the succeeding influences of Old Norse and Norman French, related to the Viking and Norman invasions of the 9th-10th and 11th centuries respectively. This process continued slowly and irregularly until the introduction of the printing press, in 1476 AD by William Caxton, which resulted in a greater degree of uniformity of spelling and heralded the dawn of Modern English. The spatial distribution of the surname COX (and also Norse-derived place names) within the British Isles showed a strong correlation with the coastline (especially the eastern seaboard, adjacent to the North Sea) and navigable river systems. This was most probably related to the ability of the Viking longships to penetrate far inland up major rivers, such as the Tyne, Tees, Humber, Yorkshire Ouse, Trent, Great Ouse and Thames, as well as many smaller, shallower rivers. Since the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century the population has become increasingly mobile and this correlation is breaking down. OCCUPATIONAL NAMES:COX: Like many British surnames (e.g. Baker, Brewer, Smith, Taylor, etc.), refers to an occupation, profession or trade. On a Viking boat/longship the “Kokkr” was the person in charge of the boat and its crew (i.e. the captain) – this was the original meaning of the Old Norse word “Kokkr” from which “Cocc” (Old English) and “Cock” (Middle English) and “Cox” (Modern English) were derived. In many parts of the Fens of East Anglia during the 18th and 19th centuries (References: GRO Census Records, 1841-1891, and Parish BMD records) many members of the Cox families were working as “Watermen” with their own boats, ferrying goods and people around in areas poorly served by road and tracks. COXSWAIN: This word is rarely used as a surname in the British Isles but it is still used to describe the helmsman/steersman of a boat, especially in rowing (coxswain, often shortened to cox). This was the original meaning of the Old Norse “Kokkr Sveinn” (the younger man/lad responsible to the captain for steering a Viking boat/longship). The word is derived from: (1) Middle English “Cock”, Old English “Cocc” and Old Norse “Kokkr” (captain), and (2) Middle English and Old English “Swain” (servant, lad, youth), cognate with/derived from Old  Norse “Sveinn” (boy, youth). PLACE NAMES: There are numerous village/place names in Britain which contain the surname COX and its variant spellings. A sample selection includes: Cock (Somerset)–spelt Kok in 1307 (Reference SC8/295/14705, The National Archives, UK), Cockayne (North Yorks),Cockernhoe (Hertfordshire), Cockfield (Durham, Suffolk), Cockfosters (Greater London), Cocking (Sussex), Cocklake (Somerset), Cockley Cley (Norfolk), Coxall (Hereford & Worcester), Coxbank (Cheshire), Coxbench (Derbyshire), Cox Common (Suffolk), Coxford (Norfolk), Coxgreen (Staffordshire),Cox Green (Surrey), Cox Green (Tyne & Wear), Coxheath (Kent), Coxhoe (Durham), Coxley (Somerset), and Coxwold (North Yorshire). Dated: 11 April 2009