Joss

This interesting surname is of Norman-French origins, and derives from an Old French personal name "Gosse", itself a shortened nickname form of Gocelin. The true origination is probably the Germanic "Gozzo", of the pre 7th Century, itself a personal name derived from "got" meaning "god", or more likely "good". The earliest recordings, pre 13th Century, are all baptismal, as in Joce de Brunna in the Lincolnshire Rolls of 1195, and Jose de Baillol in the Register of the Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, in 1166. The surname forms commenced shortly afterwards, the early recordings including: William Josse of Sussex, in 1327, and Thomas Jose of Yorkshire in the Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. Later recordings include a major Huguenot influence, Jean Josse being a witness at the French Church, Threadneedle Street, London, on December 25th 1621, whilst on January 14th 1721, John Joss was christened at St. Sepulchre's, London. He was the son of John Joss, whose father was John Joas, and it may be from this source that the present name spelling derives. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Geoffrey Jose, which was dated 1273, in the "Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire", during the reign of King Edward 1, known as "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1307. 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.