Huxley Family Crest, Coat of Arms and Name History

Huxley Origin:

England

Origins of Huxley:

This unusual surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is geographical from a place in Cheshire called Huxley, noted variably as “Huxeleg” (1260), “Huxley” (1271), and “Huxelegh” (1385), the name is considered to acquire from the genitive case of the Olde English pre 7th Century particular nickname “Hucc” (from “hux”, which means a ridicule or insult), and “-leah”, which means a wood or clearing. Geographical Surnames were usually derived by a local landholder, or by the king of the castle, and particularly by those old residents of a place who had shifted to another area, and were there best recognized by the name of their mother town. The surname from this origin was first noted in the second half of the 13th Century. One Thomas de Huxeley shows in the Premium Rolls of Staffordshire, dated 1332, and a William Huxley listed in the 1530 Fine Court Rolls of Essex. A famous named ancestor was Thomas Henry Huxley (1825 – 1895), a modern of Darwin who studied at Charing Cross Hospital and became deputy surgeon on H.M.S. “Rattlesnake” 1846 – 1850. He announced many scientific papers on fossil forms, vertebrate animals, natural history, and many other subjects.

Variations:

More common variations are: Hauxley, Huxeley, Huxly, Huxle, Hoxley, Hexley, Hixley, Huxluy, Heaxley.

England:

The surname Huxley first appeared in Cheshire where they held a family seat from old times as Kings of the Castle of Huxley. The main stem of this old family, however, lost most of the lands when, in about 1330, Alice, daughter of John Huxley of Huxley married John de Birkenhead, an inheritress who carried with her most of the family lands.

The very first recorded spelling of the family was shown to be that of Robert de Huxeleg, dated about 1260, in the “Assize Court Rolls of Cheshire,” Huntingdonshire. It was during the time of King Henry III who was known to be the “The Frenchman,” dated 1216 – 1272. The origin of surnames during this period became a necessity with the introduction of personal taxation. It came to be known as Poll Tax in England.

Ireland:

Many of the people with name Huxley had moved to Ireland during the 17th century.

United States of America:

Individuals with the surname Huxley landed in the United States in four different centuries respectively in the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th. Some of the people with the name Huxley who arrived in the United States in the 17th century included Leversedge Huxley came to Nevis in 1670.

Individuals with the surname Huxley who landed in the United States in the 18th century included Mary Huxley, and her husband arrived in New England in 1753.

People with the surname Huxley who landed in the United States in the 19th century included Thomas Huxley arrived in New York in 1880.

The following century saw more Huxley surnames arrive. Some of the people with the name Huxley who arrived in the United States in the 20th century included James Huxley at the age of 31, who landed in America from Manchester, England, in 1908. Frank Huxley, at the age of 24, who settled in America from Stafford, England, in 1909. Frank Huxley at the age of 24, who shifted to the United States from Wallington, England, in 1911. Ethelinda Huxley at the age of 4, who moved to the United States from Croydon, England, in 1911. Alice M. Huxley at the age of 39, who moved to America, in 1911.

Here is the population distribution of the last name Huxley: England 2,533; Australia 1,318; United States 868; Canada 364; Wales 226; Argentina 134; South Africa 110; France 98; Brazil 95; Northern Ireland 72

Notable People:

David Huxley was born in February 1988. He is an Australian ice hockey player currently playing for the Adelaide Adrenaline in the Australian Ice Hockey League.

Jonathan Huxley was born in the year 1965. He is a British artist whose pictures and paintings draw visions of human figures in motion.

Julian Huxley was born in August 1979 in Sydney.

Martin Huxley was a British mathematician.

Blazons & Genealogy Notes

1) (Huxley, co. Chester). Erm. on a bend cotised gu. three crescents or. Crest—A snake ppr.
2) (Edmonton, co. Middlesex). Same Arms. Crest—Out of a ducal coronet or, a demi lion ramp. erm. collared of the first, holding betw. the paws a crescent of the last.
3) Erm. on a bend cotised gu. three crescents ar. Crest—A wolf’s head erased sa. gorged with a collar or, charged with three crescents gu. Motto—In Deo omnia.