Recorded in the spellings of Hoyes, Hoise and Hoys, this name has Olde English originations, and is locational. It describes one who lived at "the hoy", as in the Yorkshire West Riding village of Hoyland, recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book, and described as "land on a high hill". The suffix ending "-es", as applied to locational surnames is equivalent to the French "de", and means "of (the)", although in some cases it is held to be a patronymic. The singular form as Ho or Hoy is widely recorded, although the plural form, however spelt, is quite rare. Recording examples include: Robert Hoys, of London, in 1558; Nathan Hoise, of Elland, Yorkshire, on August 5th 1599; and William Hoyes, christened at St. Michael-Le-Belfrey, York, on January 14th 1677, in the reign of King Charles 11. Thomas Hoy (1659 - 1718) was a noted physician and Regis professor at St. John's College, Oxford. He is believed to have died in Jamaica. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Alred de la Ho, which was dated 1199, in the "Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire", during the reign of King John, known as "Lackland", 1199 - 1216. 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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