Cornet History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Cornet is generally thought to have been derived from the Old French word 'cornet', 'a wind instrument made of horn or resembling a horn' or perhaps 'a player of the cornet.' 1 2
Early Origins of the Cornet family
The surname Cornet was first found in Cumberland at Corney, a parish, in the union of Bootle, Allerdale ward above Derwent. 1
"The surface is boldly varied, and the scenery in many parts strikingly picturesque; the higher grounds command diversified prospects, and from Corney Hall is an exceedingly fine view of the sea and numerous interesting objects. On the lands of the Hall are several veins of iron-ore of very rich quality, but of limited depth, which were wrought to some extent about 80 years since." 3
The first records of the family were found in this area. Benedict de Corneye was listed in the Assize Rolls for Cheshire in 1260 and Robert Cornay held estates at Low Hall, Yorkshire in 1301. 1 The Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332 listed Robert de Cornay, Lancashire; and Roger de Cornay, Lancashire. 4
Further to the north in Scotland, early records there revealed "a Sir Milo Corneth otherwise Milone Cornet appears in record about the close of the twelfth century and during the first quarter of the thirteenth he is designated prior of St. Germains in East Lothian. As Dominus Milo Corneht he was witness to the marches of Stobo about 1180. As Milone Comet he witnessed a grant of the old castle of Forfar by Robert de Quincy to Reginald de Arngentine c. 1200, and as Milone Cornet he witnessed a grant by Peter de Grame to the Hospital of Soltre between 1190-1238. In 1220 he appears again as a witness. About 1230 he is again a witness in a charter by Ade filius Edulphi to the Abbey of Neubotle. As Milone Corneth he witnessed a charter granted by Sayerus de Quincy, earl of Winchester, for the souls of King William, R. de Quincy, my father, and R. my son. To this charter the earl appends 'the seal of Roger, my son, the only one with me.' " 5
Early History of the Cornet family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cornet research. Another 146 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1332, 1455, 1480, 1487, 1510, 1557, 1600, 1795, 1811, 1813, 1814, 1817, 1825, 1827, 1831, 1837, 1839, 1842, 1847 and 1848 are included under the topic Early Cornet History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Cornet Spelling Variations
Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Cornet include Corne, Corney, Cornie, Cornay, Cornhay, Cawney, Cawny, Corn, Cornah, Cornall and many more.
Early Notables of the Cornet family
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was
- Victor Cornette, son of an organist, born at Amiens 1795, a musician of indefatigable activity. He entered the Paris Conservatoire in 1811, and studied composition under Lesueur. He served in the band...
Cornet Ranking
In France, the name Cornet is the 571st most popular surname with an estimated 8,210 people with that name. 6
Cornet migration to the United States +
In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Cornets to arrive on North American shores:
Cornet Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Claude Cornet, aged 20, who landed in Louisiana in 1720 7
Cornet Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Ignacio Cornet, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1858 7
Cornet 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:
Cornet Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Margaret Cornet, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Thames" in 1849
- Miss Margaret Cornet, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Thames" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 25th November 1849 8
Contemporary Notables of the name Cornet (post 1700) +
- Major-General Edgard-Marie-Julien Cornet (1889-1974), French military officer 9
- Jordi Cornet (1965-2021), Spanish politician and businessman, Member of the Parliament of Catalonia (2010-2012)
- Lynda Ann Cornet GC (b. 1962), former international rower from the Netherlands, who won the bronze medal in the Women's Eights at the 1984 Summer Olympics
- Henri Cornet GC (1884-1941), French cyclist who won the 1904 Tour de France and became its youngest winner
- Alizé Cornet GC (b. 1990), French professional tennis player
- Antonio Gaudi Cornet (1852-1926), Spanish architect
Citations +
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, 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)
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 3) Edgard-Marie-Julien Cornet. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Cornet/Edgard-Marie-Julien/France.html