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Common History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Common History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

It is generally believed that this name comes from a Breton personal name, derived from element "cam," meaning "bent," or "crooked;" or perhaps from the herb called "cummin" (cumin). Or the name may have come from the place name Comines, in Flanders, Northern France. 1

"This ancient family claim descent from the great house of Comines in France. They seem to have come into Britain at the Conquest, though they do not appear eo nomine in Domesday. " 2

Early Origins of the Common family

The surname Common was first found in Norfolk, Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire in England, in the 12th and 13th centuries. Robert of Comyn (Comines,) a noble who accompanied William the Conqueror in 1066 and was made Earl of Northumberland. 3

Other early records of the family shown with a myriad of early spellings include: Godwinus filius Cumine in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1173; Eustachius filius Cumini in the Assize Rolls for Lincolnshire in 1219; Petrus filius Kymine in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1301; Hugh Coumini listed in France in 1157; Walter Cumin in the Pipe Rolls for Wales in 1158; John Comin in Lincolnshire in 1175-1179; and William Cumyn in the Pipe Rolls for Hampshire in 1230. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Florentina Comin, Oxfordshire; Peter Comyn, Wiltshire; Stephen Comyng, Essex; and Thomas Comyn, Gloucestershire. 5 Another source notes that Admund le Comyn was listed in Norfolk, 14 Edward II (during the fourteenth year of King Edward III's reign.) 6

Today Commins is a small hamlet in Denbighshire and Commins Coch is a small village in the county of Powys, Wales.

Saint Comman of Ross-Commain (fl. 550), was son of Faelchu and "descendant of Fiacha Araidhe, of the family of Rudhraighe, and race of Ir, king of Ulster, A.D. 236." 7

Early History of the Common family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Common research. Another 487 words (35 lines of text) covering the years 1124, 1133, 1153, 1289, 1296, 1302, 1306, 1667, 1688, 1690, 1696, 1714, 1729, 1730, 1740, 1747, 1751, 1775, 1833, 1835, 1844, 1849, 1851, 1867, 1870, 1875, 1876 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Common History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Common Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Cumin, Cumins, Cumine, Cummin, Cummins, Cummine, Comings, Comins, Commin and many more.

Early Notables of the Common family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Valens Comyn (1688-1751) was an English merchant, administrator and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1747 to 1751

Migration of the Common family to Ireland

Some of the Common family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Common migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Common Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert Common, who landed in America in 1818 8
Mr. Samuel Common, (b. 1868), aged 24, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Alaska" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 20th June 1892 en route to Montana, USA 9
Mrs. Emily Common, (b. 1871), aged 21, Cornish lady travelling aboard the ship "Alaska" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 20th June 1892 en route to Montana, USA 9
Mr. Sydney Common, (b. 1880), aged 19, Cornish labourer travelling aboard the ship "St Paul" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 11th March 1899 en route to Ironwood, Michigan, USA 9

Common migration to Australia +

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

Common Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Stephen Common, (b. 1826), aged 23, Cornish miller from Roche, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Walter Morrice" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 12th February 1849 10
Mr. John Common, (b. 1833), aged 22, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "Ramillies" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 19th November 1855 11
Mr. Richard Common, (b. 1831), aged 25, Cornish farm servant from St. Columb, Cornwall, UKtravelling from Plymouth, Devon, UK aboard the ship "Aliquis" arriving in Adelaide, Australia on 26th August 1856 12
Mrs. Mary Common (née Tregilas), (b. 1835), aged 21, Cornish settler from St. Columb, Cornwall, UKtravelling from Plymouth, Devon, UK aboard the ship "Aliquis" arriving in Adelaide, Australia on 26th August 1856 12
Miss Mary Common, (b. 1856), aged Infant, Cornish settler from St. Columb, Cornwall, UKtravelling from Plymouth, Devon, UK aboard the ship "Aliquis" arriving in Adelaide, Australia on 26th August 1856 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Common 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:

Common Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Ms. Caroline Common, (b. 1851), aged 27, Cornish settler departing on 10th July 1878 aboard the ship "Waitangi" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 13th October 1878 13
Ms. Elizabeth Common, (b. 1855), aged 22, Cornish settler departing on 26th September 1877 aboard the ship "Opawa" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 3rd January 1878 13
Miss Jane Common, (b. 1876), aged 2, Cornish settler departing on 10th July 1878 aboard the ship "Waitangi" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 13th October 1878 13
Mr. John Common, (b. 1852), aged 26, Cornish farm labourer departing on 10th July 1878 aboard the ship "Waitangi" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 13th October 1878 13
Miss Julia Common, (b. 1875), aged 3, Cornish settler departing on 10th July 1878 aboard the ship "Waitangi" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 13th October 1878 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. 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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, May 30). Ships' Passenger Lists of Arrivals in New South Wales on (1828 - 1842, 1848 - 1849) [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1838_on.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1850_59.pdf
The Ships List Passenger Lists Ship Aliquis (Retrieved 26th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/aliquis1856.shtml
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