History
Where did the English Haycook family come from? What is the English coat of
arms/family crest? When did the Haycook family first arrive in the United
States? Where did the various branches of the family go? What is the history of
the family name?
Haycook is a name whose history is connected to the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes
of Britain. The name is derived from when the Haycook family once lived in the
county of Berkshire in an area that was referred to as the Heycock. This surname
was originally derived from the Old English word Hay-cock which denoted someone
who lived at the sign of the hedgecock.
Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling
variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and
other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and
name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname
Haycook include Heycock, Haycock, Heycocke, Haycocke and others.
First found in Berkshire where they were seated from very ancient times, some
say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings
in 1066 A.D.
A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous
political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left
for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of
many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made
it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in
England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to
these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American
settlers carried this name or one of its variants: John Heycock settled in
Pennsylvania in 1682; Henry and William Heycock settled in New York in 1823.