Show ContentsCookman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Cookman name was originally an Anglo-Saxon name that was given to a servant to a cook. The surname Cookman is derived from the Old English word cokman, which is comprised of the components coc, which means cook, and man, which means servant. [1]

Another source claims the name was derived from 'Cockman, a cockfighter.' [2]

Early Origins of the Cookman family

The surname Cookman was first found in Somerset, where William Cokeman was recorded in the Assize Rolls for 1276. A few years later, Reynballus Cokeman was listed in Cornwall in 1297 and in Colchester, John Cookman was recorded in 1374. [3]

Again in Somerset, we found William Cokeinan listed there, 1 Edward III (during the first year of Edward III's reign.) [4]

Early History of the Cookman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cookman research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1276, 1297, 1374, 1675, 1705, 1717, 1722, 1729, 1745, 1796 and 1800 are included under the topic Early Cookman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cookman Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Cookman has undergone many spelling variations, including Cookman, Cockman, Cokeman and others.

Early Notables of the Cookman family

Notables of the family at this time include Reverend Dr Thomas Cockman, Doctor of Divinity (1675-1745), an Oxford academic and administrator. He was Master of University College...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cookman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Cookman migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Cookman were among those contributors:

Cookman Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • R. Cookman, who sailed to Virginia in 1662
  • Rice Cookman, who arrived in Virginia in 1662 [5]

Contemporary Notables of the name Cookman (post 1700) +

  • Joseph "Joe" Cookman (1899-1944), American journalist, writer, critic and a founder of The Newspaper Guild
  • John Cookman (1909-1982), American silver medalist ice hockey player at the 1932 Winter Olympics
  • George Grimston Cookman (1801-1841), English Methodist clergyman who served as Chaplain of the Senate
  • Brian Cookman (1946-2005), English musician and composer
  • George Cookman Sturgiss (1842-1925), American lawyer and Republican politician from West Virginia
  • J. Cookman Boyd, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Maryland, 1936, 1940 [6]


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
  5. 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)
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 25) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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