| ![Show Contents]() Coffill History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England The ancestors of the bearers of the Coffill family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in Cockfield, Durham or in Suffolk. Cockfield Hall is in Yoxford, Suffolk and was originally held by the Cokefeud family who had held it since the beginning of the 14th century. Early Origins of the Coffill familyThe surname Coffill was first found in Suffolk at Cockfield, a village and civil parish near Lavenham. This village is much older than the aforementioned Durham village at this one dates back to the 10th century when it was listed as Cochanfelde. The first record of the Durham village was in 1223 when it was listed as Kokefeld. 1 There are two possible meaning of the place names: "open land of a man called Cohha" derived from the Old English personal name + feld; and "open land frequented by cocks (of wild birds.)" 1 However, despite all of the above, we must look to Oxfordshire to find the first record of the family. For it is there that Lucia de Kokefled was listed in the Feet of Fines for 1198. A few years later, Robert de Cockfeld was listed in Cheshire in 1236-1247. 2 Early History of the Coffill familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Coffill research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1170, 1198, 1275 and 1327 are included under the topic Early Coffill History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Coffill Spelling VariationsUntil quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Coffill include Cockfield, Cocksfield, Cofield, Coefield, Coffield and many more. Early Notables of the Coffill familyMore information is included under the topic Early Coffill Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Coffill familySearching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Coffill or a variant listed above: Ann Coffield who settled in New England in 1758 along with her husband William.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Coffill (post 1700) | + |
- David Coffill, American actor and writer, known for Doctor Rapture's Spooky Madness (2011)
- Peter Terence Coffill (b. 1957), English footballer who played from 1975 to 1991, Torquay United F.C.-Player of the Season in 1981
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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