This is an English surname of pre medieval origins. It has two possible origins, the first is from the Olde English pre 7th century word 'hosa', and as such was an occupational surname for a maker or seller of stockings and socks. The second is from the French word 'heuse', and later 'hosier', introduced by the Normans after the Invasion of 1066. Here the meaning is slightly diffferent and describes a maker of boots and shoes. With the modern surname we seem to have a confusion of a French word and an English meaning. Occupational surname, perhaps not surprisingly, were amongst the earliest to be created in about the 12th century. However they did not usually become hereditary unless a son followed a father into the same line of business. In this case early examples of the surname recording include William Husier, in the Oseney Rolls of Oxford in the year 1180, and Nicholas le Hosier in the pipe rolls of Clerkenwell in the city of London, in 1182. In the registers of the Freemen of the city of York, William de Kekby, hoser, is so recorded in the year 1300, whilst Thomas Hosyer appears in the Poll Tax register for York in 1379.

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