Cornwall in southwestern
England provides the original birthplace of the surname Connoch.
Nickname surnames were rare among the Cornish, they did occasionally adopt names that reflected the physical characteristics or other attributes of the original bearer of the name. The name Connoch is a
nickname type of surname for a
rich and successful person. Looking back further, we find the name Connoch was derived from the Cornish word
connock, of the same meaning.
Early Origins of the Connoch family
The surname Connoch was first found in
Cornwall where they held a
family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the
Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.
Early History of the Connoch family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Connoch research.
Another 139 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1554, 1571, 1631, 1675, 1660, 1620, 1593 and 1614 are included under the topic Early Connoch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Connoch 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 Conock, Conick, Connick, Connock and others.
Early Notables of the Connoch family (pre 1700)
Notable amongst the family at this time was John Conock of Treworgie; John Connock, an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1554 and 1571; John Connock (1631-ca.1675), an...
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Connoch Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Connoch family to the New World and Oceana
Some of the first North American settlers with Connoch name or one of its variants: John, Patrick, and Walter Connick, arrived in Philadelphia in 1853.