Contents [hide]

Corbett History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Corbett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

From the historical and enchanting region of Normandy emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Corbett family. Originally, the Norman people were known only by a single name. Surnames evolved during the Middle Ages when people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. Often they adopted names that were derived from nicknames. Nickname surnames were derived from an eke-name, or added name. They usually reflected the physical characteristics or attributes of the first person that used the name. The name Corbett is a nickname type of surname for a person with dark hair. Tracing the origin of the name further, we found the name Corbett was originally derived from the Old French word "corbeau," which means "raven." 1

Early Origins of the Corbett family

The surname Corbett was first found in Shropshire, where they claim descendancy from Roger, son of Corbet as listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. Roger le Corbet (or Fitz Corbet) was granted several manors by William the Conqueror as the Barony of Caus for his role in the Conquest. "The first Corbet came from Shropshire and settled in Teviotdale under Earl David in the first quarter of the twelfth century. He is said to have obtained the manor of Foghou which he held as a vassal under the earls of Dunbar (Chalmers, I, p. 499). Robert Corbet was a witness to the Inquisitio of Earl David c. 1124, and to a charter by the earl to Selkirk Abbey (Kelso, 4). His son, Walter, acquired the manor of Malcarvestun and other lands in Teviotdale and made grants to the Abbey of Kelso, and gifted the church of Malcaruiston to the same abbey." 2

"Corbet, a noble Norman, came into England with the Conqueror, and from his son Roger Corbet descended the baronial house, as well as the families of the name now existing." 1

Another source notes "a Norman family too well known to need any detail. Hence the Barons Corbet of Caux, and the Baronets Corbet." 3

Early History of the Corbett family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Corbett research. Another 144 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1124, 1241, 1296, 1580, 1582, 1594, 1595, 1600, 1617, 1624, 1635, 1637, 1640, 1646, 1648, 1657, 1658, 1662, 1675, 1677, 1683, 1705, 1711, 1748 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Corbett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Corbett Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Corbett, Corbet, Corbetts, Corbit, Corbitt, Corbitts and many more.

Early Notables of the Corbett family

Notable among the family at this time was

Sir Robert Corbett of Selkirk Abbey

Corbett World Ranking

In the United States, the name Corbett is the 1,114^th most popular surname with an estimated 27,357 people with that name. 4 However, in Canada, the name Corbett is ranked the 919^th most popular surname with an estimated 5,902 people with that name. 5 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Corbett is the 555^th popular surname with an estimated 83 people with that name. 6 Australia ranks Corbett as 697^th with 5,636 people. 7 New Zealand ranks Corbett as 323^rd with 1,911 people. 8 The United Kingdom ranks Corbett as 597^th with 10,971 people. 9

Migration of the Corbett family to Ireland

Some of the Corbett family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Corbett migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Corbett Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Robert Corbett, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 10
Robert Corbett who settled in Virginia in 1655
Henry Corbett, who arrived in Maryland in 1656 10
Mary Corbett, who landed in Virginia in 1658 10
John Corbett, who landed in Maryland in 1665 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Corbett Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Edward Corbett, aged 20, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1774 10

Corbett Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Pierce Corbett, aged 22, who landed in New York, NY in 1804 10
Samuel Corbett, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 10
Winslow Corbett, aged 24, who landed in America in 1821 10
M Corbett, aged 20, who arrived in America in 1822 10
Timothy Corbett, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1845 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Corbett migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Corbett Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Thomas Corbett, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
Hanah Corbett, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
John Corbett, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
Mr. John Corbett U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on October 26, 1783, passenger number 289 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on September 28, 1783 at Staten Island, New York 11

Corbett Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Thady Corbett, aged 21, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Trafalgar" from Galway, Ireland
John Corbett, aged 27, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Trafalgar" from Galway, Ireland
Denis Corbett, aged 23, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1837 aboard the barque "Robert Watt" from Cork, Ireland
Mary Corbett, aged 21, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1837 aboard the barque "Robert Watt" from Cork, Ireland
Mr. James Corbett, aged 30 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Yorkshire Lass" departing from the port of Killala, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Corbett migration to Australia +

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

Corbett Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Patrick Corbett, (b. 1780), aged 40, Irish labourer who was convicted in Galway, Ireland for 7 years for sedition, transported aboard the "Dorothy" on 5th May 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
Mr. Thomas Corbett, English convict who was convicted in York, Yorkshire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Duncan" on 10th December 1840, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 14
Miss Margaret Corbett, (b. 1833), aged 18, Irish nursery maid who was convicted in County Clare, Ireland for 15 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Blackfriar" on 24th January 1851, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 15
Henry Corbett, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Hibernia" in 1851 16
Matthew Corbett, aged 26, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Phoebe Dunbar" 17
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Corbett 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:

Corbett Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Corbett, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
William Corbett, who landed in Epsom, Auckland, New Zealand in 1842
Mr. Corbett, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Phoebe" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 18th April 1843 18
Mr. Corbett, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Duke of Portland" arriving in New Plymouth, North Island, New Zealand in 1855 19
Mrs. Corbett, British settler travelling from Gravesend with 4 children aboard the ship "Duke of Portland" arriving in New Plymouth, North Island, New Zealand in 1855 19
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Corbett (post 1700) +

Kizzmekia "Kizzy" Shanta Corbett (b. 1986), American viral immunologist. She is the Shutzer Assistant Professor at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute and assistant professor of immunology and infectious diseases at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Appointed to the VRC in 2014, Corrbett was the scientific lead of the VRC's Coronavirus Team
Thomas Wingett Corbett Jr. (b. 1949), American politician and attorney, 46th Governor of Pennsylvania from January 18, 2011 to January 20, 2015
Alfred Hoyt Corbett (1915-2000), American attorney, businessman, and politician, Oregon State Senator (1957-1964), Member of the Oregon House of Representatives (1953-1956)
John Joseph Corbett Jr. (b. 1961), American actor and country music singer
Glenn Corbett (1933-1993), American actor, best known for his role on CBS's adventure drama Route 66 and for the one appearance as Zefram Cochrane in Star Trek (1967)
Ben Corbett (1892-1961), American film actor who appeared in 283 films between 1915 and 1956
Thomas P. "Boston" Corbett (1832-1894), American Union Army soldier who shot and killed Abraham Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth
Henry Winslow Corbett (1827-1903), American businessman and politician in the state of Oregon
Ronald Balfour "Ronnie" Corbett CBE (1930-2016), Scottish actor and comedian best known for his association with Ronnie Barker in the popular British television comedy sketch series The Two Ronnies
David Frank Corbett (1940-2020), English professional footballer from Marshfield, England who played 152 matches as a right winger
... (Another 8 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Corbett family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Leslie Rawson Corbett (1917-1942), English Sick Berth Attendant from England, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales and survived the sinking, was listed as missing and presumed killed during the evacuation of Singapore 1942 20

RMS Titanic

Mrs. Irene Corbett (d. 1912), (née Colvin), aged 30, American Second Class passenger from Provo, Utah who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 21

SS Newfoundland

Mr. Patrick Corbett (1891-1914), Newfoundlander from Clark's Beach,, who on the 30th March 1914 he was part of the Seal Crew of the "SS Newfoundland" leaving the ship to intercept the Stephano which took him to the hunting grounds, he disembarked to begin sealing, but was caught in a thickening storm, attempting to return to the Newfoundland he and the 132 crew made camp for two days the sealers were stranded on the ice in a blizzard attempting to return to the ship, he died during this time

SS Southern Cross

Mr. Joseph Corbett (1895-1914), Newfoundlander from Clarke's Beach who was aboard the "SS Southern Cross" when it is suspected she sank between the 31st March 1914 and early April during the storm with a heavy load of pelts; no survivors were ever found

The Corbett 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: Deus pascit corvos
Motto Translation: God feeds the ravens.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 21)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dorothy
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duncan
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blackfriar
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HIBERNIA 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Hibernia.gif
South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) PHOEBE DUNBAR 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/phoebedunbar1852.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html