Kook History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Cornwall in southwestern England provides the original birthplace of the surname Kook. Nickname surnames were rare among the Cornish, they did occasionally adopt names that reflected the physical characteristics or other attributes of the original bearer of the name. The name Kook is a nickname type of surname for a person with a rosy complexion or red hair. Interestingly, the name Kook was originally from the Welsh word coch, which means red.

Alternatively the name could have been Norman from "le Coq or Cocus. William, Gerold, Josceline, Radulphus Coqus or Cocus all appear in Normandy 1180-95. Of these, William and Ralph occur in England 1189." 1

Early Origins of the Kook family

The surname Kook was first found in Somerset where John le Cok and Henry le Cok were both listed 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 2 The Close Rolls had two listings John a Kok, Close Rolls, 9 Edward I and William le Kok, Close Rolls, 3 Edward I. 3

John Cok (1392?-1467?), was "Brother of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, born about 1392, probably in or near London, as he was apprenticed to Thomas Lamporte, a goldsmith in Wood Street. In 1417 he was ordained priest, and in 1419 became a brother of St. Bartholomew's Hospital. " 4

Early History of the Kook family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kook research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1660 and 1679 are included under the topic Early Kook History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kook Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Cock, Cocke, Koke, Cocks and others.

Early Notables of the Kook family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Thomas Cocke of Monks Kirby; and Christopher Cock, English instrument maker of the 17th century who supplied microscopes to Robert Hooke. Captain George Cock (d. 1679), "states that in the civil war he 'was employed by the queen mother to negotiate the raising of Lord Newcastle's army...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kook Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kook 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:

Kook Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Edward Kook, (b. 1853), aged 21, Cornish ploughman departing on 22nd May 1874 aboard the ship "St Lawrence" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 29th August 1874 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Kook (post 1700) +

Adam J. Kook, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 2008 6

Citations +

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)
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.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Lyttelton 1858-84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html