Colebank History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the Colebank surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in Cumberland at Caldbeck. 1 The earliest record of the place was in the 11th century when it was known as Caldebek and literally meant "cold stream," from the Viking "kaldr" + "bekkr." 2

One source presumes the name was originally Norman having derived from the place names Caudebec or Caldebec, Normandy. The author notes "William de Caudebec occurs in the Duchy 1180-1195." 3

Early Origins of the Colebank family

The surname Colebank was first found in Cumberland where the family claim descent from Caldbeck, a parish in the union of Wigton, Allerdale ward below Derwent. "The river Caldbeck flows through the village and the church bears date 1112, founded soon after the establishment of an hospital for travellers, by the prior of Carlisle, with the permission of Ranulph D'Engain, chief forester of Inglewood." 4

Here we find Alan de Caudebec in the Pipe Rolls of 1214. Later, Thomas de Caldebek was listed as a Freeman of Yorl in 1321 and later again, Henry Caldebek was found in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1453. 5

Early History of the Colebank family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Colebank research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1700, 1708, 1787 and 1806 are included under the topic Early Colebank History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Colebank Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Colebank include Calderbank, Calderbeck, Caldebank, Caldebeck, Coldbeck, Colebeck, Colebank, Colderbank, Coulderbank, Coulderbeck, Colderback, Coldeback and many more.

Early Notables of the Colebank family

More information is included under the topic Early Colebank Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Colebank migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Colebank Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Miss Sara Colebank, aged 20, from England who arrived in Virginia aboard the ship "America" arriving in June 1635 6

Colebank migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Colebank Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

John, Sarah, and Samuel Colebank, who immigrated to Nova Scotia in 1750
Samuel Colebank, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
Sarah Colebank, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750

Contemporary Notables of the name Colebank (post 1700) +

Clifford S. Colebank, American Republican politician, Member of West Virginia Republican State Executive Committee, 1937; Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from West Virginia, 1952

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)