Cozbey Surname History

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Cozbey is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived in or near the place named Cosby, which was in the county of Leicestershire. The name of this settlement was originally derived from the Old English forename Cossa and the Old Norse word byr, which means farm; thus, it means Cossa's farm. The surname Cozbey 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 Cozbey family

The surname Cozbey was first found in Leicestershire at Cosby, a parish, in the union of Blaby, hundred of Guthlaxton. 1 This place name date back to at leat the Donesdfay Book of 1086 when it was known as Cossebi and literally meant "farmstead of village of a man called Cossa." 2

It is "said to have been the property of the family before the Conquest." 3

Early History of the Cozbey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cozbey research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1510, 1516, 1548, 1558, 1560, 1562, 1565 and 1580 are included under the topic Early Cozbey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cozbey Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Cozbey has been spelled many different ways, including Cosby, Cosbie, Cosbey, Cosbye, Cossbye and others.

Early Notables of the Cozbey family

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

Migration of the Cozbey family to Ireland

Some of the Cozbey family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 106 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cozbey family

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Cozbeys to arrive in North America: John Cosby who settled in Virginia in 1654; Hannah Cosby settled in Charles Town in 1763; William Cosbey arrived in Philadelphia in 1874.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.