Show ContentsCorder History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Corder is one of the names that was brought to England in the wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Corder family lived in Berkshire. The name, however, refers to the area of Cordray, in Eure, Normandy, where the family lived prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. "Benedict de Coudray was witness to a charter of Roger de Menilwarin to Deulacresse Abbey (Mon. ii.) and Fulco de Coudray held one fee from Abingdon Abbey." [1]

Early Origins of the Corder family

The surname Corder was first found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 where John de Coudray (no county) was listed. A few years later, the Writs of Parliament listed William de Coudraye, 1307. [2]

Early History of the Corder family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Corder research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1530, 1577, 1588, 1590, 1600, 1616, 1618, 1619, 1664 and 1684 are included under the topic Early Corder History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Corder Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Corder family name include Cowdrey, Cowdray, Cowderey, Cowderoy, Corderoy, Cordroy, Cowdroy, Cowdry, Cowdery and many more.

Early Notables of the Corder family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Jeremy Corderory (fl. 1600), was an English divine, "the son of a Wiltshire gentleman. He was sent about 1577 to St. Alban Hall, Oxford, and after taking his degree in arts in due course continued to...

Corder Ranking

In the United States, the name Corder is the 5,505th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. [3]


United States Corder migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Corder family to immigrate North America:

Corder Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Corder, who landed in Virginia in 1623 [4]
  • William Corder, who arrived in Maryland in 1673 [4]
Corder Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William A Corder, who landed in Texas in 1835 [4]
  • F Corder, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1871 [4]

Australia Corder migration to Australia +

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

Corder Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Corder, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Delhi" in 1839 [5]
  • Thomas Corder, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "William Barras" in 1839 [6]
  • Miss Jane Corder, (b. 1827), aged 30, Cornish housekeeper departing from Plymouth on 28th March 1857 aboard the ship "Tudor" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 30th June 1857 [7]
  • Mr. William Corder, (b. 1849), aged 8, Cornish settler departing from Plymouth on 28th March 1857 aboard the ship "Tudor" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 30th June 1857 [7]
  • Miss Clarinde Corder, (b. 1851), aged 6, Cornish settler departing from Plymouth on 28th March 1857 aboard the ship "Tudor" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 30th June 1857 [7]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Corder (post 1700) +

  • Tim Corder (b. 1949), American Republican member of the Idaho Senate
  • William Corder (1803-1828), nicknamed "Foxey", an English ladies' man who killed his girlfriend in 1827 in what would become known as The Red Barn Murder; he was tracked to London, tried and was hanged in Bury St Edmunds in 1828
  • James Watson Corder (1867-1953), English historian who recorded family histories in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear; his 25 volumes of manuscript books took 40 years to compile lists of the births, deaths and marriages of Sunderland families
  • Paul Walford Corder (1879-1942), English composer and music professor
  • Frederick Corder (1852-1932), English composer and music teacher
  • Rosa Frances Corder (1853-1893), British Victorian artist and artist's model


  1. 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)
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. 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)
  5. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) DELHI 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Delhi.htm
  6. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) WILLIAM BARRAS 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839WilliamBarrass.gif
  7. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_victoria.pdf


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