Map of England showing where the Hitchcock arms are recorded
The Hitchcock arms were recorded in Wilts, c. 1620.
Wiltshire was sheep country, and wool made money steadily for hundreds of years. Families who made it bought manors on the downs, and holding a manor was the usual reason to take arms.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in England in this period.
James VI and I
Sovereign of the period
James VI and I
1603–1625
Reigning in England when the Hitchcock arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in England
English heraldry allowed arms to be shared by all legitimate descendants of the original owner. These symbols were treated as personal property that moved through the generations to all children. While the eldest son kept the original design, other family members could use the same shield without needing to change it or register their own unique versions.
Granting authority
The College of Arms in London has regulated the use of coats of arms throughout England and Wales since 1484.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through a formal grant from the Crown or by proving their ancient right to them.
Where arms were recorded
All official coats of arms are recorded in the registers kept at the College of Arms, which date back to the fifteenth century.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Wilts.
Origin & History of the Hitchcock Family in England
The surname Hitchcock originated in medieval England as a diminutive form of the name Richard. During the Middle Ages, it was common to create nicknames by adding the suffix "cock" to the end of a shortened name, resulting in the combination of "Hitch" and "cock." By the early 17th century, the family had established a notable presence in the county of Wiltshire. Records from 1620 confirm that members of the Hitchcock family were settled in this region, where they were likely involved in the local agricultural economy or the thriving wool trade that defined the area at the time. These early ancestors were part of a growing class of English families who were beginning to document their lineage through parish registers and legal property records as they built their lives in the English countryside.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Hitch
A medieval pet form or diminutive of the name Richard.
This name
HitchcockA patronymic surname meaning son of the diminutive form of Richard.
also spelled
Hytchcock
Hitchcoke
Hytchcoke
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Bardsley, Charles Wareing, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, 1901
Reaney, P.H., A Dictionary of British Surnames, 1958
Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre, Parish Registers of Wiltshire, 1620
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
cross symbolChristian faith and service
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
lionCourage, strength and royalty
cross symbolChristian faith and service
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
lionCourage, strength and royalty
