Cornelius History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  Netherlands 
  England 


The Cornelius surname finds its earliest origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name is derived from Cornelius, a given name that came to England in the 15th or 16th century from Holland or Belgium. The names Cornelius and Cornelia were popular in the Low Countries because the relics of St. Cornelius, a Pope from the third century, were kept at the Chapter of Rosnay, in Flanders. 1

Early Origins of the Cornelius family

The surname Cornelius was first found in Essex, where they held a family seat from the Middle Ages.

Early History of the Cornelius family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cornelius research. Another 54 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1354, 1557, 1568, 1575, 1594 and 1664 are included under the topic Early Cornelius History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cornelius Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Cornelius are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Cornelius include: Cornelius, Cornelis, Cornellis, Cornelys and others.

Early Notables of the Cornelius family

Notables of the family at this time include

Cornelius Ranking

In the United States, the name Cornelius is the 1,762nd most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 2 However, in South Africa, the name Cornelius is ranked the 862nd most popular surname with an estimated 8,115 people with that name. 3


Cornelius migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Cornelius or a variant listed above:

Cornelius Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Cornelius Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Cornelius Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Cornelius Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Cornelius migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cornelius Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
Cornelius Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Cornelius migration to Australia +

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

Cornelius Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Cornelius 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. 12
Cornelius Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Cornelius (post 1700) +
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