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![Show Contents]() Corneil Surname History
The name Corneil is derived from the Old French word "corme", which referred to the fruit of the "sorb" or "service" tree. The surname most likely evolved from a nickname originally used for someone who lived near such a tree, or who sold its fruit at the market. 1 Early Origins of the Corneil familyThe surname Corneil was first found in Brittany in de Chambray, where they held a family seat. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the family elected to follow the course of Protestantism against the established religion and were classified as Huguenots and followed the exodus from France from about the year 1681 through to 1701 to England and Southern Ireland. The name is listed amongst the Huguenots entering Southern Ireland in the Cork area. From about 1850, the Cormiers migrated to North America and became one of the many Acadians who settled in the Magdalen Islands and later at St.Georges or Stephenville Crossing in Newfoundland. Under the adapted spelling of Cormey, they settled in the Codroy Valley District in Newfoundland, and an alternate spelling included Cormie. Meanwhile, many junior branches of the family flourished in England, Ireland, Newfoundland, and the Maritimes, in Canada, with various spellings. Early History of the Corneil familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Corneil research. Another 68 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1079, 1480, 1584, 1601, 1606, 1609, 1642, 1646, 1664, 1684, 1695 and 1708 are included under the topic Early Corneil History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Corneil Spelling VariationsMost surnames have experienced slight spelling changes. A son may not chose to spell his name the same way that his father did. Many were errors, many deliberate. During the early development of the French language, a person usually gave his version, phonetically, to a scribe, a priest, or a recorder. Prefixes or suffixes varied. They were optional as they passed through the centuries, or were adopted by different branches to signify either a political or religious adherence. Hence, there a many spelling variations of the name Corneil, including Cormier, Cormiere, Cormie, Cormey, De Cormie, De Cormey, De Cormier and many more. Early Notables of the Corneil familyNotable amongst this name at this time was - Pierre Corneille (1606-1684), a French tragedian, often called “the founder of French tragedy"
- Michel Corneille the Elder (c. 1601-1664), a French painter, etcher, and engraver
- Michel Corneille the Younger (1642-1708), a French painter, etcher and engraver
Migration of the Corneil familyImmigration to New France was slow; therefore, early marriage was desperately encouraged amongst the immigrants. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported to Louisiana. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The distinguished family name Corneil has made significant contributions to the culture, arts, sciences and religion of France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Corneil were Robert Cormier (1602–1712), a ship’s carpenter born in Poitou, who settled in Acadia in 1650; John Cormie who settled in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1790.
- Dionne, N.-E., Origine Des Familles Canadiennes-Français. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1969. Print.
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