Contents [hide]

Coombes History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Coombes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Coombes date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Coombes family lived in a small valley; the surname Coombes is often derived from the Old English word cumb, which means valley. In this case, it belongs to the class of topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees. Alternately, the surname Coombes may be derived from residence in one of the many places called Comb, Combe, or Coombe. In this case, it belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Coombes family

The surname Coombes was first found in Sussex where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the Coombes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Coombes research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1269, 1317 and 1651 are included under the topic Early Coombes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coombes Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Coombes are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Coombes include: Coombes, Cumbey, Cumbie, Coomes, Combes, Comes, Cumbay, Cumby, Coomby, Coombey and many more.

Early Notables of the Coombes family

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

Coombes Ranking

In New Zealand, the name Coombes is the 941^st most popular surname with an estimated 793 people with that name. 1 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Coombes is ranked the 906^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,569 people with that name. 2

Coombes migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Coombes or a variant listed above:

Coombes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Elizabeth Coombes, who arrived in Maryland in 1680 3

Coombes Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Coombes, who settled in Upper Island Cove in 1781

Coombes Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

I Coombes, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 3
T Coombes, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 3
W H Coombes, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 3
A Coombes, who landed in Arkansas in 1886 3
Mr. Frank Coombes, (b. 1867), aged 25, Cornish rope maker travelling aboard the ship "Majestic" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 28th January 1892 en route to Havana, Florida, USA 4

Coombes Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. Charles Coombes, (b. 1883), aged 20, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "Ivernia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 13th April 1903 en route to Ishpeming, Michigan, USA 4

Coombes migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Coombes Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

John Coombes of Pool's Harbour settled there in 1829

Coombes migration to Australia +

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

Coombes Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Peter Coombes, (b. 1807), aged 27, English labourer who was convicted in Southampton, England for 14 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Augusta Jessie" on 27 September 1834, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
Ephraim Coombes, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lloyds" in 1838 6
John Coombes, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lady Lilford" in 1839 7
Ann Coombes, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lady Lilford" in 1839 7
Moses Coombes, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lady Lilford" in 1839 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Coombes migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Coombes Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

R Coombes, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
William Coombes, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
Edward Coombes, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bombay" in 1863 8
E. Coombes, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Telegraph" in 1863
Mr. George Coombes, (b. 1845), aged 33, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Western Monarch" arriving in New Zealand in 1879 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Coombes migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 10

Coombes Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

John Coombes, who settled in St. Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635
John Coombes, aged 26, who arrived in St Christopher in 1635 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Coombes (post 1700) +

John Charles "Charly" Coombes (b. 1980), American-born, English multi-instrumentalist and vocalist
William Henry Coombes (1767-1850), English Catholic divine, born at Meadgate in the parish of Camerton, Somersetshire, on 8 May 1767 11
Robert Coombes (1808-1860), English Champion sculler, born at Vauxhall, Surrey and as a waterman at an early age commenced life on the Thames 11
Gareth Michael "Gaz" Coombes (b. 1976), English musician and singer-songwriter
Chadwick Reuben Coombes (b. 1983), New Zealand born association football player

Historic Events for the Coombes family +

HMS Hood

Mr. Gerald E Coombes (b. 1907), English Sergeant serving for the Royal Marine from Petersfield, Hampshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 12

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Rowland V Coombes, British Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 13

HMS Royal Oak

John J. Coombes, British Corporal with the Royal Marine aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 14

Senghenydd colliery

Mr. George W. Coombes (b. 1891), Welsh coal miner from Senghenydd, Caerphilly, Wales who was working at the Senghenydd colliery when there was an explosion on the 14th October 1913; he died

Citations +

"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/augusta-jessie
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LLOYDS from London 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838Lloyds.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LADY LILFORD 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839LadyLilford.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 7th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html