This both interesting and unusual name, with variant spellings Maycock and Meacock is one of those surnames which derive from a pet form of a Christian name, plus the suffix ending "-cock", which was a nickname for a young lad who strutted proudly like a cock, and is often attached to many medieval given names, such as Alcock and Hancock. In this case "My-", derives from "Mai", which comes from "May", a diminutive of "Mayhew", itself a form of "Matthew". Matthew itself is from the medieval English given name "Mathew", of biblical origin, from the Hebrew made personal name "Matityahu", meaning "Gift of God", recorded in the Greek New Testament in the form "Matth(a)ias". The personal name was recorded in 1284 as "Maisoc" le Crouder, in the Assize Court Rolls of Lancashire, and one "Mokock de la Lowe" was mentioned in the De Lacy Inquisition of 1311. Early surname recordings include: Thomas Macok and John Moycock, recorded in the 1327 Subsidy Rolls of Derbyshire, and Johannes and Dionisiq Mocok, recorded in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire, dated 1379. Thomas, son of Samuel Mycock was christened at St. James', Didsbury, Lancashire, on September 30th 1764, while Thomas Mycock married Mary Stede at Manchester Cathedral, on December 28th 1851. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William Maycock or Moycock, which was dated 1323, witness in the "Assize Court Rolls of Staffordshire", during the reign of King Edward 11, known as "Edward of Caernafon", 1307 - 1327. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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