eacott name

The Eacott Name

Like other names the Eacott name evolved over hundreds of years. The earliest record of the name is in the form of EYCOT. Eycot was an ancient manor along the river Churn in the county of Gloucester, England. It was recorded in the great census ordered by William the Conqueror in 1086 AD. The name was then recorded as Aicote. There were no persons of that name recorded at that time. In a manuscript of Worcester ( Hemming's Cartulary ) from the late 11th century the name of the manor is recorded as EUGKOTE. However, the oldest record is the Saxon charter of the 9th century that established the manor of Eycot.

Before the 12th century it was not common for people to use surnames. When in the 12th C. last names became popular they were names which indicated a place, or an occupation or a physical description or relationship. Just under half of all English surnames are named for a place. This seems to be the case for the Eacott name.

At the time of the Domesday record the area where the Eacotts lived had been settled for over 400 years by Saxons who became to be known as Anglo-Saxons. The Anglo-Saxon language became the basis for Old English. This language had connections to Denmark and adjacent Germany as well as to the Norse languages.

If the name is Old English, which seems likely, the meaning can be made reasonably clear. "Cott or Cote" means a small hut or cottage, or a shelter for sheep or birds.

"EY" can mean several things.

It can mean " ever " as in "for aye"

It can mean " egg " as in birds egg

It can refer to water in several ways; running water, an island, or marshland.

Thus the following meanings are possible:

" One who always lives in a small house"

" One who lives at the egg house or hen house"

" One who lives in a house by the stream, or by or on an island or marshland"

It seems very probable that the last meaning is the most likely because the manor house at Eycot was located on the west bank of the Churn R. and there are old reports of there having been an island and a marshy area nearby.

However, the word EYOT if related refers to the raising of nestling falcons placing the name in association with that occupation.

Eldon Smith in " New Dictionary of American Family Names" 1973 says that Eacott Means " Dweller in a cottage by the river" Old records show EA and EY interchangeable in the name. This was possible in Old English because EA, EY, and EG all refer to water in some manner and the use does not change the meaning.

Barber in " British Family Names" 1903 says Eacott is derived from the Anglo-Saxon - Echeard; Danish - Ecert or Eigaard; German - Eckardt; Flemish - Eekhout; or from one of several Norse names beginning "EY"

Another possible origin comes from the name of a Frenchman who was awarded the lordship of Duntisbourne Abbot and who leased from Hugh Donkey the manor of Bagendon. His name was Gilbert de Eskecote. It is not known if he ever lived in the area of Bagendon. However the name is similar enough to offer some confusion especially if some of his locally born offspring took a version of his name and modified it. Yet, it must be remembered that Eycote already existed as a place nearby.

The name prior to 1400 in the few references known noted an individual as being so and so "de Eycote" or "of Eycote". From the 1500's a few EA names existed derived from EY, EC and EK versions. The EA form was not popular and in Bagendon and Cirencester did not ever exist. Ea versions occurred in North Cerney, Rendcomb, and areas adjacent to the north.

Up until 1750 the vast majority of names were Eycott, 80% or more. From 1750 there is a mixed transition with increasing use of Ecott and Eacott. After this time the Eacott name is becomes very common in Wiltshire. After 1800 the Ey is scarce and virtually vanishes by 1830 with Eacott being the version used almost exclusively and in some areas Ecott.

The EA version was derived from EC in the Cromhall-Alveston area and EA was common in Purton-Swindon and Warminster areas of Wiltshire.

Up to 1800 it was not common for people to read and write. As a result most names were recorded quite as they were said in the local dialect. Records show the same family with members whose names were spelled variously. The files of the Church of Latter Day Saints relate Eacott to Eycott, Aycott, Eckott, Eckett, Ecott, Haycott, Hickett, Icott, Eccot, and Eyecott in their files. As well there are other variations such as Eacoote.

Church records seldom go back before the late 1500's. From that time there were parish records and a local bishops record. They were sometimes at variance. These rather early references respecting North Cerney (from the parish register) exemplify.

Dec. 4 1661 Elizabeth wife of Richard Eacott Sr. buried ... only Richard Ecott appears in other records.

Feb 22 1664 Richard sone of Richard Eacott Sr. Baptized

Dec 24 1676 Jonathan son of Joseph Eacott baptized

1682 Joseph Eycot is buried and for some years there are no more Eacotts only EC and EY

The bishops register shows this entry:

Dec 24 1676 Jonathon son of Joseph Ecot baptized

The pronunciation of the name had importance in the spelling. An Old English grammar book says "EA" is a diphthong vowel, that is a vowel where each of the two letters is said. The letter E was pronounced as in "NET" while the A got less emphasis. To find the relationship with EY use the Y sound from "Yes or young" and the EA and EY are difficult to distinguish Egg also comes from the EY sound. Thus the first sound in the name in ancient times was more like "EHy" or"EHa" with the last letter being made soft. The original pronunciation may have been more like "EHcott" or "AYHcott.

The 11th century word EUGKOTE might be a close sound variation. In more recent memory the name in Alveston was AYE cott, as was that in Ontario. Most current users seem to prefer EEcott or EHcott.

In the Saxon times the alphabet used was the runic alphabet with 29 letters. The 28th letter was EA with an accent over the E. It was written as a W with a line down from the mid centre point. Resembling a Neptune=s spear.

The EY version of the name existed continually until the mid 1700's in the Churn valley and in scattered places but since then seems to a have died out everywhere.

Another element that may have some significance about the name is the observation of the suffix ACOTT@. An examination of this in British place names shows that the ACOTT@ ending existed in a very specific band extending in an arc south and east of the Bristol Channel from north Devon, Somerset, Gloucester inland from the sea. From Bude in the west north of Exeter and the A30 are such places as Eastcott, Natcott, Elmscott, Brazacott, Patchacott, Southcott, Tetcott, Luffincott, Kellacott, Upcott, Middlecott, Northcott, Bennacott, Accott, Hiscott, Uppincott, Beccott, Knightacott, Golsoncott.

Then in Somerset more scattered Cattacott, Draycott, Carlingcott,Nightcott, Woolcott, Ashcott. Then from Bristol into Gloucestershire Earthcott, Eycott, Horcott, Buscot, Calcot, Murcot, Earlingscott ending in a line from Warwick to Oxford. In this north area ACOTE@ endings are more common.

What, if any meaning can be taken from this observation remains to be seen. It may or may not conform to an ancient area that gave reason to apply this suffix in this area. This could be a clue as to the linguistic origin of the name. No old records of Eacott or Eycott exist from the Devon and Somerset area.