Show ContentsCody History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Cody family

The surname Cody was first found in the counties of Cornwall and Devon where they settled soon after the Norman Conquest of England by Duke William of Normandy in 1066 A.D. In Norman, the family name was Archidiacne, which seriously questions the popular concept that the family name is derived from the office of Archdeacon.

Early History of the Cody family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cody research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1300 is included under the topic Early Cody History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cody Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Archdeacon, Archdekin, Archdekyne, Arcedeckne, Archdecon, Archdicken, Ercadkne, Erchdeacon, Erchdekine, Archdeakin, Erdeacon, Cody, Codie and many more.

Early Notables of the Cody family

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

Cody Ranking

In the United States, the name Cody is the 1,596th most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 1

Ireland Migration of the Cody family to Ireland

Some of the Cody family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Cody migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cody Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Cody, who settled in Virginia in 1651
  • Tho Cody, who landed in Virginia in 1651 2
  • William Cody, who settled in Maryland in 1670
Cody Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Cody, who settled in Maryland in 1711
Cody Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Anne Cody, who arrived in New York in 1822 2
  • Morris Cody, who landed in Savanna(h), Georgia in 1827 2
  • James Cody, who arrived in Savanna(h), Georgia in 1837 2
  • Nicholas Cody, aged 30, who arrived in Missouri in 1840 2
  • Nicholas Cody, who landed in Missouri in 1840
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Cody Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Margaret Cody, who arrived in Alabama in 1924 2
  • George Cody, who landed in Alabama in 1927 2

Canada Cody migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cody Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • John Cody, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1776
Cody Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Richard Cody made port in Nova Scotia in 1817
  • Richard Cody, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1817
  • Elijah Cody, who landed in Canada in 1828
  • Michael Cody, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1830
  • Stephen Cody, who arrived in Canada in 1834
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Cody migration to Australia +

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

Cody Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
  • Miss Catherine Cody, English convict who was convicted in Westminster, London, England for 7 years , transported aboard the "Britannia III" on 18th July 1798, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 3
Cody Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Patrick Cody, (b. 1790), aged 40, Irish labourer who was convicted in Kilkenny, Ireland for life for manslaughter, transported aboard the "Forth" on 1st January 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1830 aboard the ship 4
  • Mr. John Cody, (b. 1817), aged 26, Irish sawyer who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 14 years for desertion from the army, transported aboard the "Constant" on 9th May 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
  • Patrick Cody, aged 44, a shepherd, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "James Fernie" 6
  • Edward Cody, aged 23, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Carnatic"
  • Michael Cody, aged 20, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Carnatic"
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Cody 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:

Cody Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Lawrence Cody, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Dilharree" in 1875
  • Patt Cody, aged 23, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Dilharree" in 1875

Contemporary Notables of the name Cody (post 1700) +

  • Robert Tree Cody (1951-2023), American musician, dancer, and educator
  • Sherwin Cody (1868-1959), American writer and entrepreneur
  • General Richard A Cody (b. 1950), retired United States Army officer who served as the 31st Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army from June 24, 2004 to July 31, 2008
  • Bill Cody Jr. (1925-1989), American motion picture child actor
  • William Frederick Cody (1846-1917), American showman known as Buffalo Bill
  • Elizabeth Allen Cody, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Massachusetts, 1980 7
  • Dorothy Ann DiGirolamo Cody (1935-1999), American politician, Member of Montana State House of Representatives, 1983-91 7
  • Clifford Cody, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Iowa, 1940 7
  • Claudia Cody, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Minnesota, 2008 7
  • Celia Cody, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1988 7
  • ... (Another 19 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Empress of Ireland
  • Mr. Michael Cody (d. 1914), British Trimmer from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 8


Suggested Readings for the name Cody +

  • Cody by Peggy M. Winston.
  • Philip and Martha, Their Sons and Daughters by Aldus Morrill Cody.

  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Britannia
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/forth
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/constant
  6. South Australian Register Friday 17th November 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) James Fernie 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/jamesfernie1854.shtml
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  8. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html


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