Codey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Wales
Ireland

The name Codey is from the rugged landscape of Wales. It is a Celtic name that was derived from Cudde or Codling, which were both pet-forms of the personal name Cuthbert. 1

Another source claims the name is derived from the "Anglo-Saxon personal name Cod, Coda, Codda [Old English codd, meaning a bag]." 2

During the 16th century, a codder was a worker in leather, a saddler, or a peltmonger. Thus, Codey may also be an occupational surname applied to someone involved in one of these trades.

Early Origins of the Codey family

The surname Codey was first found in Cornwall, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

"The manor of Methleigh, [in the parish of Breage, Cornwall] was formerly the property of Sir Thomas Arundell, of Truthall in Sithney, from whom it passed by sale to the family of Coode, about the commencement of the last century. In this family it has since remained, and it is now the property of Edward Coode, Esq. of St. Austell." 3

"In the church [of Morvall, Cornwall there] are memorials for the families of Mayow, Kendall, and Coode. For William Coode who died in 1637, there is a monument containing figures of himself and his wife, in a kneeling attitude. These are in bas relief on slate; behind each of which is a vine, and on four of their principal branches, are death's heads." 3

Early History of the Codey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Codey research. Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1586, 1635, 1648, 1672, 1689, 1690, 1709, 1765 and 1777 are included under the topic Early Codey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Codey Spelling Variations

There are relatively few surnames native to Wales, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. Early variations of Welsh surnames can be explained by the fact that very few people in the early Middle Ages were literate. Priests and the few other literate people were responsible for recording names in official documents. And because most people could not specific how to properly record their names it was up to the individual recorder of that time to determine how a spoken name should be recorded. Variations due to the imprecise or improper recording of a name continued later in history when names originally composed in the Brythonic Celtic, language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, were transliterated into English. Welsh names that were documented in English often changed dramatically since the native language of Wales, which was highly inflected, did not copy well. Occasionally, however, spelling variations were carried out according to an individual's specific design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by minor variations. The spelling variations of the name Codey have included Code, Codd, Codde, Coad, Coade and others.

Early Notables of the Codey family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Code of Gridley Castle in Devon; and John Coode (c. 1648-1709), born in Penryn, Cornwall, he left England...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Codey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Codey family to Ireland

Some of the Codey family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 98 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Codey migration to the United States +

North America in the 1800s and 1900s saw the arrival of many Welsh people hoping to share in the wealth of land, work, and freedom that they felt North America held. Those who made the journey often attained those expectations, but only through an enormous amount of hard work, perseverance, and often a bout of good luck. These immigrants helped contribute to the growth of industry, commerce, and culture of both Canada and the United States. Discovered in the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Codey:

Codey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Peter Codey, aged 41, who arrived in Kansas in 1886 4

Codey migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Codey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Michael Codey, (Cody), (b. 1789), aged 30, Irish gardener from Carlow who was convicted in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he escaped and lived as a bushranger, was killed in 1826 5
James Codey, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Arab" on February 22, 1834, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Codey (post 1700) +

Richard James Codey (b. 1946), American Democratic Party politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly, 1974-81; Member of New Jersey State Senate 27th District, 1982-; Governor of New Jersey, 2002, 2004-06 7

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dromedary
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Arab voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1834 with 230 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/arab/1834
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html