Cokes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Cokes

What does the name Cokes mean?

The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066 brought the Cokes family name to the British Isles. Cokes is a name for a purveyor of cooked meats. The derives from the word cok, which means to cook, and was brought to England shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066. 1

Early Origins of the Cokes family

The surname Cokes was first found in Derbyshire at Barrow, a parish, in the union of Shardlow, partly in the hundred of Appletree. "An estate here, which had been parcel of the manor of Melbourne, was annexed to the see of Carlisle before 1273, and was held on lease, under the bishops, by the family of Coke. This estate was enfranchised by act of parliament in 1704." 2

Another ancient branch of the family was found at Billingford in Norfolk. "At Beck Hall, in the parish, the birthplace of Chancellor Bacon, and the ancient seat of the Coke family, an hospital, with a chapel dedicated to St. Thomas a Becket, was founded in the beginning of the reign of Henry III." 2

Further to the south in Cornwall, another branch of the family was found. "In the reign of Charles I. the college estate [in the parish of Probus] belonged to the Cokes of Trerice; after which it became successively the property of Lewis, Goldingham, and Luttrell; and it is now in the possession of Mr. Johns." 3

Early History of the Cokes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cokes research. Another 196 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1206, 1340, 1552, 1563, 1576, 1582, 1591, 1592, 1600, 1607, 1613, 1624, 1634, 1640, 1642, 1644, 1650, 1653, 1656, 1661, 1674, 1685, 1692, 1727 and 1750 are included under the topic Early Cokes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cokes Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval 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. The name has been spelled Coke, Cokes, Coik, Coike, Coak, Coake, Coeke and others.

Early Notables of the Cokes family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Edward Coke (1552-1634), Solicitor General of England, considered to be the greatest jurist of the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras. He was "commonly called Lord Coke (or Cooke as the name was pronounced and frequently written in his own day), ' the name of pre-eminence which he hath obtained in Westminster Hall ' " 4 Sir John Coke (1563-1644), was Secretary of State and the second son of Richard Coke of Trusley, near Derby. "Being one of a family of eleven children, and his father dying in 1582, John Coke began life with nothing...
Another 150 words (11 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cokes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cokes migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Cokes or a variant listed above:

Cokes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Edward Cokes, who landed in Maryland in 1664 5
John Cokes, who landed in Maryland in 1664 5
Thomas Cokes, who settled in North Carolina in 1674

Cokes migration to Australia +

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

Cokes Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Joseph Cokes, English convict from Buckinghamshire, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on July 29th, 1823, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 6

Cokes 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. 7

Cokes Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Edward Cokes, who settled in Barbados in 1635
Mr. Edward Cokes, (b. 1618), aged 17, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Alexander" arriving in Barbados in 1635 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Cokes (post 1700) +

Curtis Cokes (1937-2020), American boxer from Dallas, Texas, World Welterweight Champion

The Cokes 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: Prudens qui patiens
Motto Translation: He who is patient is prudent.

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1823 with 151 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1823
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 28th September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm