Mainly English, a patronymic form of Cock, an old pet name and nickname from Old English cocc. Other proposed sources include Welsh coch 'red', Old English cock 'heap, hill', and, in Ulster, a mistranslation of Mac Con Coille 'son of the hound of the wood' as if from coileach 'rooster'. In the Netherlands and Belgium it comes from a short form of Cornelius or from Kok 'cook'.
Spellings and related forms: Cock, Cocks, Coxe, Coxen, Coxon, Wilcox.
Follows the traditional reading linking Cox to cock, the rooster.
Most surnames have no single "family crest". In heraldry, a coat of arms belonged to one person and passed down one line of descent. Sites that sell "the Cox coat of arms" usually show the arms of one historic family that shared the name. Ours is different on purpose: an original design built from what the name means, which any Cox can own honestly.
Blankets: soft velveteen plush (100% polyester), printed on one side; may run up to 3 in. short of the listed size. Rugs: polyester chenille with hemmed edges and a coated backing, for indoor use. Both are printed in the USA (Georgia and North Carolina).
Name meanings come from the sources above, checked 2026-10. Where scholars disagree, we say so.