Cockley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the Cockley surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in the village of Cochagh. The place-name was originally derived from the Old English word cocc, which literally means someone who lived by a hill or haycock, a mound of fresh cut hay left to dry in the meadow.

Early Origins of the Cockley family

The surname Cockley was first found in Somerset, where they held a family seat from the Middle Ages.

Early History of the Cockley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cockley research. Another 37 words (3 lines of text) covering the year 1327 is included under the topic Early Cockley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cockley Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Cockley include Cochey, Cockey, Cocheye, Cocagh and others.

Early Notables of the Cockley family

More information is included under the topic Early Cockley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cockley migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Cockley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Philip Cockley, who landed in Maryland in 1664 1

Cockley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Hannes Cockley, aged 39, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1743 1

Cockley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

A L Cockley, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 1

Cockley migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Cockley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Cornelius Cockley, British Convict who was convicted in Bristol, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 20th July 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Cockley (post 1700) +

E. K. Cockley, American politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for Pennsylvania, 1920 3

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th February 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1837
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html