Cork History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:

England

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

(226)

The notable Cork family arose among the Cornish People, a race with a rich Celtic heritage and an indomitable fighting spirit who inhabited the southwest of England. While surnames were well-known during the English medieval period, Cornish People originally used only a single name. The way in which hereditary surnames came into common use is interesting. As the population of medieval Europe multiplied, people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. Under the Feudal System of government, surnames evolved and they often reflected life on the manor and in the field. Patronymic surnames were derived from given names and were the predominant type of surname among the Celtic peoples of Britain. However, the people of Cornwall provide a surprising exception to this rule, and patronymic surnames are less common among them than other people of Celtic stock, such as their Welsh neighbors. This is due to the greater influence of English bureaucracy and naming practices in Cornwall at the time that surnames first arose. This type of surname blended perfectly with the prevailing Feudal System. One feature that is occasionally found in Cornish surnames of this type is the suffix -oe or -ow; this is derived from the Cornish plural suffix -ow. is a patronymic surname that came from the Welsh personal name which occurred variously as Corc, Gouch, or Coch and is of uncertain origin. It is said to have been born by an early chieftain of the area.

Early Origins of the Cork family

The surname Cork was first found in Cornwall where they had been anciently seated from about the 11th century, some say even before the Norman Conquest of England by Duke William in 1066. Although, on the surface, there seems to be an immediate connection with the city of Cork in southern Ireland, historians believe this to be an old Celtic surname descended from Corc, Gouch or Coch, a chieftain of some renown who lived prior to the 11th century and was probably Welsh.

Early History of the Cork family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cork research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1580 is included under the topic Early Cork History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cork Spelling Variations

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 Cork, Corke, Corc, Corr, Coch, Gough and others.

Early Notables of the Cork family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Corke of Cornwall

Cork Ranking

In the United States, the name Cork is the 6,879^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Cork migration to the United States +

Investigation of immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Cork:

Cork Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Cork, who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1772
John Cork, who arrived in South Carolina in 1772 2

Cork Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Charles Cork, who landed in New York in 1815 2
William Cork, who settled in New Orleans La. in 1820
Ann Cork, who settled in New York State with five children in 1823
I M Cork, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 2
Miss Elizabeth Cork, (b. 1821), aged 30, Cornish settler departing from Penzance aboard the ship "Mountaineer" arriving in the United States on 30 April 1851 3

Cork migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cork Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. John Cork U.E. who settled in Ernestown, Lennox & Addington, Ontario c. 1783 4

Cork migration to Australia +

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

Cork Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Cork, (b. 1809), aged 19, English blacksmith who was convicted in Bristol, England for 14 years for burglary, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 25th June 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
Mr. Daniel Cork, English convict who was convicted in Kent, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 8th July 1840, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Mr. John Cork, (b. 1819), aged 25 born in Bodmin, Cornwall, UK convicted in Cambridge on 3rd July 1844, sentenced for 10 years for housebreaking, transported aboard the ship "Mt. S. Elphinstone" in 1845 to Van Diemen's Land, Tasmania, Australia 7
Elizabeth Cork, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Isabella Watson" in 1846 8
George W Cork, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "David Malcolm" in 1847 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cork 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:

Cork Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Francis Cork, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Evening Star" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand in 1858 10
Mrs. Mary Ann Cork, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Evening Star" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand in 1858 10
Mr. John Francis Cork, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Evening Star" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand in 1858 10
Miss Mary Ann Cork, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Evening Star" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand in 1858 10
Mr. Frederick Cork, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Evening Star" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand in 1858 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cork migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 11

Cork Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

George Cork who settled in Jamaica in 1685

Contemporary Notables of the name Cork (post 1700) +

Bruce Cork (1916-1994), American physicist who discovered the antineutron in 1956 while working at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Jack Frank Porteous Cork (b. 1989), English professional footballer
Alan Cork (b. 1959), English former professional footballer and coach from Derby, England; he played from 1977 to 1995 and managed team from 1997 to 2002, father of Jack Cork
Dominic Cork (b. 1971), former English international cricketer
Sir Roger William Cork (1947-2002), British accountant and insolvency expert, Lord Mayor of London from 1996 to 1997
Sir Kenneth Russell Cork GBE (1913-1991), British accountant and insolvency expert, Lord Mayor of London from 1978 to 1979, father of Sir Roger Cork
Richard John Cork, British fighter pilot and flying ace in the Fleet Air Arm (FAA), during World War II, credited with 11 aerial victories