This unusual name is of English origins. Recorded in many forms as shown below, it is locational and originates from two places called Huncoate in the counties of Lancashire and Leicestershire. Both places are recorded in the famous Domesday Book of 1086 as respectively, Hunnicot and Hunecote and both share the same meaning and derivation which is "Huna's cottage". This is from the Olde English pre 7th century personal name "Huna", a derivative of the Germanic word "Hun", meaning 'bear cub', and "cot", in Middle English cote or cott, meaning a shelter or cottage. The modern surname can be found as Honnicott, Huncote, Hunnicot, Hunnicutt, Honeycote, Huncoot and others. Early examples of the surname recordings include Elena Hunicote who married Richard Thorpp at Whalley in Lancashire, on November11th 1543, and Sarah Hunicut who married George Stockall at St. Antholin's, Budge Row in London in December 1612. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was sometimes known as the Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.