Show ContentsCordell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Cordell family

The surname Cordell was first found in Suffolk where they held a family seat. The earliest record is that of them seated at Long Melford as Lords of the Manor and many distinguished personages claimed to be descended from this source.

The first record we could find, however, was derived from Cheshire in the north in 1213 when Hugo Cordell held lands in that county. Later they were traced to Norfolk when Margery Cordell was registered with estates. 1

There may be a Norman connection too as "Robert de Cordelles was of Normandy, 1180-95." 2

Early History of the Cordell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cordell research. Another 129 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1431, 1510, 1581, 1600, 1641, 1646, 1653, 1654, 1662, 1677, 1679, 1680, 1685, 1689, 1690, 1701 and 1704 are included under the topic Early Cordell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cordell Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Cordell, Cordel, Cordall, Cordal, Cordle, Corddle and others.

Early Notables of the Cordell family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Sir William Cordell (d. 1581), Master of the Rolls, "son of John Cordell, Esq., by Eva, daughter of Henry Webb of Kimbolton, Huntingdonshire, born at Edmonton, Middlesex, and educated at Cambridge, th...
  • Sir Robert Cordell, 1st Baronet (died c. 1680), was an English landowner and politician, Sheriff of Suffolk (1653 to 1654), Member of Parliament for Sudbury (1662-1679); and his son, Sir John Cordell...

Cordell Ranking

In the United States, the name Cordell is the 3,299th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 3


United States Cordell migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cordell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Cordell, who arrived in Virginia in 1637 4
  • James Cordell, who arrived in Virginia in 1654 4
Cordell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • John Cordell, who landed in Virginia in 1730 4

Australia Cordell migration to Australia +

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

Cordell Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
  • Miss Mary Cordell, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years , transported aboard the "Britannia III" on 18th July 1798, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
Cordell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Benjamin Cordell, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl St Vincent" on 6th April 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
  • James Cordell, English Convict from London, who was transported aboard the "Aboukir" on December 24, 1851, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 7
  • Frederick Cordell, English convict from Hertfordshire, who was transported aboard the "Adelaide" on April 16, 1855, settling in Western Australia 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Cordell (post 1700) +

  • Allen Cordell (b. 1978), American filmmaker and artist
  • Cathleen Cordell (1915-1997), American film and television actress
  • Bruce Robert Cordell (b. 1968), American author of fantasy novels
  • Charles Cordell (1720-1791), English Roman Catholic divine, son of Charles Cordell, of the diocese of London, and his wife, Hannah Darell, of the ancient family of Darell of Scotney Castle, Sussex 9
  • Denny Cordell (1943-1995), English (Buenos Aires born) rock music producer
  • Tarka Cordell (1966-2008), British musician, writer, record producer, and sometime model
  • Sir William Cordell (1522-1581), Solicitor General and Master of the Rolls during the reign of Queen Mary I and Speaker of the House
  • Alexander Cordell (1914-1997), pen-name of George Alexander Graber, a prolific Welsh novelist and author
  • Frank Cordell (1918-1980), British music composer, arranger and conductor
  • Carlton Cordell Kammerer (b. 1937), former American NFL football defensive end


Suggested Readings for the name Cordell +

  • Cordell-Ryan, Hicks-Bradford Families by John Cordell Hicks.
  • My Family, My Ancestors [The Cordell Family], Myself by Robert Rikel Cordell.

  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. 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)
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Britannia
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-st-vincent
  7. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 18) Aboukir voyage to Van Diemen's Land and Norfolk Island. [These convicts appear to have all landed in Van Diemen's Land], Australia in 1851 with 280 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/aboukir/1851
  8. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 17) Adelaide voyage to Western Australia, Australia in 1855 with 261 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/adelaide/1855
  9. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020


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