Cockburn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  Scotland/England 
  Scotland 
  Ireland 


The name Cockburn comes from the Boernician Scottish-English border region. The Cockburn family lived in Berwickshire named Cockburn. The place name in turn, comes from the Old English cocc, meaning "rooster," and burna, meaning "a stream." As such, the surname is classed as a local, or habitational name, derived from a place where the original bearer lived or held land.

Early Origins of the Cockburn family

The surname Cockburn was first found in Roxburghshire in the lands of Merse. One of the first recorded instances of the name was during the reign of William the Lion (1165-1214) when a Cukoueburn was listed in the area of Clifton, Roxburghshire. Typical of these early entries, no given name was provided. Peter de Cokburne witnessed a grant in 1220. One of the earliest records of a Clan crest was in 1296, when a rooster (cock) is shown on the seal of Peres de Cokeburne. Sir Alexander Cockburn was killed at the battle of Bannockburn in 1314. In 1390, his grandson Alexander was appointed Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland.

Early History of the Cockburn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cockburn research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1281, 1595, 1656, 1685, 1735, 1770 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Cockburn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cockburn Spelling Variations

Since medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, and since there were no consistent rules for the translation of rules from Gaelic to English, spelling variations are extremely common in Boernician names of this vintage. Cockburn has been spelled Cockburne, Cobourne, Coburn, Coburne, Cocburn, Cockbain, Cockborne, Cockbourn, Cobourn, Cockburn, Cokburn, Cogburn, Cokbain, Cokborne, Cokbourn, Cokbourne, Cokburne, Cowburn and many more.

Early Notables of the Cockburn family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was

Cockburn Ranking

In the United States, the name Cockburn is the 15,886th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Cockburn family to Ireland

Some of the Cockburn family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 69 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Cockburn migration to the United States +

Many of the Boernician-Scottish families who crossed the Atlantic settled along the eastern seaboard in communities that would become the backbone of the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. In the War of Independence, American families that remained loyal to the Crown moved north into Canada and became known as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestral culture of all of these proud Scottish families remains alive in North America in the 20th century through Clan societies and highland games. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Cockburn or a variant listed above:

Cockburn Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Cockburn Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Cockburn Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Cockburn migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cockburn Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Cockburn Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Cockburn migration to Australia +

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

Cockburn Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Cockburn 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:

Cockburn Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Cockburn (post 1700) +


The Cockburn 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: Accenti cantu
Motto Translation: He animates by crowing.
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