Cockate History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the name Cockate date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence at the cotes which was in turn derived from the Old English word cote, which means at the cottage, which denotes that the initial bearer of this surname lived in a little cottage. 1 Due to the general meaning of the name, there are a few places named Coates in Britain including places in Cambridgeshire, Gloucestershire, Nottinghamshire, and Lincolnshire. 1 The last dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was listed as Cotes. 2

Early Origins of the Cockate family

The surname Cockate was first found in Staffordshire where the family are "descended from Richard de Cotes, who was probably son of Thomas de Coates, living in 1157, when the Black Book of the Exchequer was compiled." 3 At that time, he held large estates on the Salop, Staffordshire borders.

By 1273, the name was scattered throughout England as seen in the Hundredorum Rolls of that year: Egidius de Cotes, Norfolk; Robert de Cotes, Buckinghamshire; and Geoffrey de Cotes, Lincolnshire. And later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Thomas del Cotes; Johannes del Cotes; and Henricus del Cote as all holding lands there at that time. 4

Early History of the Cockate family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cockate research. Another 142 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1210, 1273, 1556, 1609, 1682, 1716 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Cockate History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cockate Spelling Variations

Cockate has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Cockate have been found, including Coates, Coate, Coats and others.

Early Notables of the Cockate family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Thomas de Cotes, Knight of a land-holding family in the Salop-Stafford area; George Cotes (or Cotys) (died 1556), an English academic and a Catholic bishop during the...
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cockate Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cockate family to Ireland

Some of the Cockate family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 67 words (5 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 Cockate family

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Cockates to arrive on North American shores: John Coates who settled in Virginia in 1650; James Coates settled in Jamaica in 1679; Mary Coates settled in New York in 1686; William Coates settled in Barbados in 1660.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, 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)