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The illustrious surname Cok finds its origin in the rocky, seaswept coastal area of southwestern England known as Cornwall. Under the Feudal System of government, surnames evolved and they often reflected life on the manor and in the field. Nickname surnames were rare among the Cornish, they did occasionally adopt names that reflected the physical characteristics or other attributes of the original bearer of the name. The name Cok is a nickname type of surname for a person with a rosy complexion or red hair. Interestingly, the name Cok was originally from the Welsh word coch, which means red.
Alternatively the name could have been Norman from "le Coq or Cocus. William, Gerold, Josceline, Radulphus Coqus or Cocus all appear in Normandy 1180-95. Of these, William and Ralph occur in England 1189." 1
The surname Cok was first found in Somerset where John le Cok and Henry le Cok were both listed 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 2 The Close Rolls had two listings John a Kok, Close Rolls, 9 Edward I and William le Kok, Close Rolls, 3 Edward I. 3
John Cok (1392?-1467?), was "Brother of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, born about 1392, probably in or near London, as he was apprenticed to Thomas Lamporte, a goldsmith in Wood Street. In 1417 he was ordained priest, and in 1419 became a brother of St. Bartholomew's Hospital. " 4
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cok research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1660 and 1679 are included under the topic Early Cok History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Cock, Cocke, Koke, Cocks and others.
Notable amongst the family at this time was Thomas Cocke of Monks Kirby; and Christopher Cock, English instrument maker of the 17th century who supplied microscopes to Robert Hooke.
Captain George Cock (d. 1679), "states that in the civil war he 'was employed by the queen mother to negotiate the raising of Lord Newcastle's army...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cok Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Cok, or a variant listed above: