Cowbit History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

It was among those Anglo-Saxon tribes that once ruled over Britain that the name Cowbit was formed. The name was derived from the personal name Jacob. The surname Cowbit is derived from Cob, which is a pet form of the name Jacob, and is supplemented by the common diminutive suffix -et. Some experts state that the surname Cowbit is a nickname derived from the Old English word cubit, which means elbow. One expert is dumbfounded: "I cannot explain the somewhat common and well-known surname, unless it be a diminutive or corruption of a personal name. " 1

Early Origins of the Cowbit family

The surname Cowbit was first found in Norfolk, where Geoffrey Cobet and Roger Cobet were both listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. 2

Early History of the Cowbit family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cowbit research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1400 and 1566 are included under the topic Early Cowbit History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cowbit Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Cowbit include Cubitt, Cowbitt, Cobbett, Cubyt, Cubbert, Cubit and many more.

Early Notables of the Cowbit family

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

Migration of the Cowbit family

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Cowbit were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: Isaac Cubbert who settled in New York State in 1811; William Cubit settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1866.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)