Show ContentsCockurcey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Irish already had a system for creating hereditary surnames established when the followers of Strongbow settled in eastern Ireland. Although there was relatively little friction between the two systems because they operated according to very similar principles, the Strongbownians frequently used local surnames. In Ireland, local surnames were almost unheard of, but in England they were probably the most common form of hereditary surname. Local surnames, such as Cockurcey, were taken from the name of a place or a geographical feature where the person lived, held land, or was born. The surname Cockurcey is derived from in the settlement of Coursi in Normandy. The surname Cockurcey belongs to the large category of Anglo-Norman habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. The Gaelic form of the surname Cockurcey is de Cúrsa.

Early Origins of the Cockurcey family

The surname Cockurcey was first found in County Cork (Irish: Corcaigh) the ancient Kingdom of Deis Muin (Desmond), located on the southwest coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, in Ireland, where this noble family claim descent from Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne, King of France, who died in 814. Descended was Balderic Teutonicus, Earl of Brion in Normandy, who had six sons. The third son was Robert de Courcy, Lord of Courcy in Normandy. His son, Richard, was at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. and was granted Stoke-Courcy in Somerset, and other lands. His son John De Courcy, Baron of Stoke Courcy, was created Earl of Ulster by King Henry II for his assistance in conquering the province of Ulster, but Sir John was deprived of his Earldom by King John, who confined him to the Tower of London for one year and granted Ulster to Hugh de Lacie. His son Miles De Courcy, would move to Ireland where he was made the 1st Baron of Kingsale, County Cork. 1

Patrick de Courcy was appointed Justiciar of Ireland in 1221. 2

Early History of the Cockurcey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cockurcey research. Another 165 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1098, 1160, 1172, 1176, 1181, 1182, 1210, 1219, 1664 and 1720 are included under the topic Early Cockurcey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cockurcey Spelling Variations

During an investigation of the origin of each name, it was found that church officials and medieval scribes spelled many surnames as they sounded. Therefore, during the lifetime of a single person, a name could be spelt numerous ways. Some of the spelling variations for the name Cockurcey include Courcy, Courcey, Courcie, Curcy, Cursie, Curcie and many more.

Early Notables of the Cockurcey family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was Sir Richard de Courcy (died 1098) ; John de Courcy (1160-1219), an Anglo-Norman knight who arrived in Ireland in 1176...
Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cockurcey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cockurcey family

A great number of Irish families left their homeland in the late 18th century and throughout the 19th century, migrating to such far away lands as Australia and North America. The early settlers left after much planning and deliberation. They were generally well off but they desired a tract of land that they could farm solely for themselves. The great mass of immigrants to arrive on North American shores in the 1840s differed greatly from their predecessors because many of them were utterly destitute, selling all they had to gain a passage on a ship or having their way paid by a philanthropic society. These Irish people were trying to escape the aftermath of the Great Potato Famine: poverty, starvation, disease, and, for many, ultimately death. Those that arrived on North American shores were not warmly welcomed by the established population, but they were vital to the rapid development of the industry, agriculture, and infrastructure of the infant nations of the United States and what would become Canada. Early passenger and immigration lists reveal many Irish settlers bearing the name Cockurcey: Henry DeCourcy, on record in Maryland in 1634. Others include: William de Courcy, a Jacobite was sent to Maryland in 1763; James Courcey, an enforced emigrant from Ireland to America in 1739.



The Cockurcey Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Vincit omnia veritas
Motto Translation: Truth conquers all things.


  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  2. Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)


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