Show ContentsCone History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Today's generation of the Cone family bears a name that was brought to England by the migration wave that was started by the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Cone family lived in Kent, where they held lands and a family seat at Fairbourne (later Fairlawn). "This family is said to be from. Castle Chiowne, Chioune, Chun, or Choon, which some interpret a 'house in a croft.'" 1

Early Origins of the Cone family

The surname Cone was first found in Kent, where the Cone family was anciently seated as Lords of the Manor of Fairbourne (later Fairlawn). At the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086, a survey initiated by Duke William after his conquest of England at Hastings in 1066, this estate was held by Hugh le Vendee, nephew of Herbert and Ralph de Courbepine from the tenant in chief, the Bishop of Bayeux, and it is from Hugh which the family is conjecturally descended. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included listings for the name as a forename and a surname: Chun Mervyn, Cambridgeshire; Chun Pimme, Cambridgeshire; Chun Pistor, Cambridgeshire; William Chaun, Lincolnshire; and Hugh Chone, Oxfordshire. 3

Early History of the Cone family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cone research. Another 169 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1583, 1596, 1613, 1639, 1659 and 1668 are included under the topic Early Cone History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cone Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Cone were recorded, including Chowne, Chown, Chiowne, Chioune, Choon, Chiown, Cone, Chone, Cowne, Cown, Coun, Coune, Chune, Choone and many more.

Early Notables of the Cone family

Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cone Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cone Ranking

In the United States, the name Cone is the 3,251st most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 4


United States Cone migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Cone arrived in North America very early:

Cone Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • David Cone, who arrived in Virginia in 1641 5
  • Daniel Cone, who landed in Connecticut in 1660 5
  • John Cone, who arrived in Virginia in 1662 5
  • James Cone, who landed in Virginia in 1665 5
Cone Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • James Cone, who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1768
  • Joseph Cone, who settled in New York State in 1775
  • Joseph Cone, who landed in New York in 1798 5
  • Jospeh Cone, who arrived in Ohio in 1798 5
Cone Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Cone, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1821 5
  • Henry H Cone, who arrived in Texas in 1835 5
  • Dennis Cone, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1876 5

Canada Cone migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cone Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Jacob Cone, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749-1752

Contemporary Notables of the name Cone (post 1700) +

  • Fred Cone (1926-2021), American football fullback and placekicker in the National Football League for the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys (1951-1960)
  • Martin Cone (1882-1963), American academic, 6th President of St. Ambrose College from 1930 to 1937
  • James Hal Cone (1936-2018), American theologian from Fordyce, Arkansas, an advocat of black theology and black liberation theology
  • Robert William Cone (1957-2016), United States Army four-star general
  • Spencer Houghton Cone (1785-1855), US Baptist minister, President of the American and Foreign Bible Society
  • Fred Cone (1848-1909), American pioneer professional baseball player
  • David Cone (b. 1963), American former Major League Baseball pitcher
  • Fred Preston Cone (1871-1948), American politician, the 27th Governor of Florida
  • Reuben Cone (1788-1851), American pioneer and landowner in Atlanta, Georgia
  • Moses H. Cone (1857-1908), American textile entrepreneur, conservationist, and philanthropist
  • ... (Another 8 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


Suggested Readings for the name Cone +

  • Cone: Ancestors and Descendants of Henry Clay Cone by Marion Abbott Gunderson.
  • Faulk-Cone and Allied Families by Eleanor Faulk Cone.

  1. Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. 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)


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