Origin of the Name Cox
The
Cox family history was found in the allfamilycrests.com archives.
Over the centuries Surnames developed a wide number of variants. Different spellings of the same name can be traced back to an original root. Additionally when a bearer of a name emigrated it was not uncommon that their original name would be incorrectly transcribed in the record books at their new location. Surnames were also often altered over the years based on how they sounded phonetically and depending on the prevailing political conditions it may have been advantageous to change a name from one language to another.
Variants of the name Cox
include Cocks, Cockson, Coxe, Coxen, Coxon, Coxson and McQuilly. This name is of Anglo-Celtic descent spreading to the countries of Ireland , Scotland and Wales in early times and is found in many mediaeval manuscripts throughout these countries. Examples of such are a Thomas Cokson who was recorded in the 'Poll tax of the West Riding of Yorkshire', England , in the year 1379 and a Robert Cockson who was registered in the University of Oxford, in the year 1555. In the 'Nuns Priests Tale' by Chaucer it is said of Chanticleer, 'Nothing ne list thanne for to crow, but cried anon cok, cok, and up he sterte'. Thus 'cock' became the general sobriquet of a sharp and forward lad. In Ireland Cox is often a form of the name MacQuilly which in Gaelic is Mac an Choiligh and is found throughout the four Provinces. This Gaelic Sept was originally located in County Roscommon. MacGilly and Magilly are County Monaghan variants of MacQuilly that have often been subsequently changed to Cox.
The Cox coat of arms came into existence centuries ago. The process of creating coats of arms (also often called family crests) began in the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this. The new art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own coat of arms, including all Cox descendants.