Cooksly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Cooksly name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived in Cooksey, a village in Worcestershire. 1 The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled Cochesei. It is probable that the place name meant "cock's island," or possibly "cock's stream."

Early Origins of the Cooksly family

The surname Cooksly was first found in Worcestershire where one of the first records of name was Sir Walter Cokesey of Cokesey, Worcestershire, who died 1295. He claimed descent from a family that held large estates in Kidderminster, Witley and other places. His son, Walter Cokesey held lands in Witley in 1328. A brass plate at Kidderminster Church notes the burial of Walter Cooksey in 1407. 2

Early History of the Cooksly family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cooksly research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1400 and 1481 are included under the topic Early Cooksly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cooksly Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Cooksly has undergone many spelling variations, including Cookesey, Cooksy, Cooksey, Cookesy and others.

Early Notables of the Cooksly family

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

Migration of the Cooksly family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Cooksly were among those contributors: Will Cooksey and his wife Sarah and children settled in Virginia in 1623; John Cooksey settled in New England in 1767; Daniel Cooksey settled in Virginia in 1670..

The Cooksly 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: Prodesse quam conspici
Motto Translation: To do good rather than be conspicuous.

Citations +

Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)