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![Show Contents]() Cooady History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The illustrious surname Cooady finds its origin in the rocky, sea swept coastal area of southwestern England known as Cornwall. Although surnames were fairly widespread in medieval England, people were originally known only by a single name. The process by which hereditary surnames were adopted is extremely interesting. As populations grew, people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. Under the Feudal System of government, surnames evolved and they often reflected life on the manor and in the field. Lords and their tenants often became known by the name of the feudal territory they owned or lived on. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used local surnames. This was due to the heavy political and cultural influence of the English upon the Cornish People at the time that surnames first came into use. Local surnames were derived from where a person lived, held land, or was born. While many Cornish surnames of this sort appear to be topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees, many are actually habitation surnames derived from lost or unrecorded place names. The name Cooady is a local type of surname and the Cooady family lived in the village of Coad in Cornwall. Early Origins of the Cooady familyThe surname Cooady was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat from very ancient times. This ancient Cornish name settled in early times in Gidley Castle in Cornwall, a grant from the early Celtic Kings. The family name also had branches in St. Austel and Morval. The Castle, which is a square fort with three towers, is used by the family name as a Crest on their Coat of Arms. Further to the north in Yorkshire, Geoffrey Codi was found in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1210; Stephen Cody in the Subsidy Rolls for 1297; and Roger Cody in the Assize Rolls for 1364. 1 Early History of the Cooady familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cooady research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1275 is included under the topic Early Cooady History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Cooady Spelling VariationsCornish 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 Coady, Cody, Coadie, Code, Codde and others. Early Notables of the Cooady familyMore information is included under the topic Early Cooady Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Cooady family to Ireland
Some of the Cooady family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Cooady familyAn investigation of the immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Cooady: Thomas Coady settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1768; Thomas Coady settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1850; Thomas Cody settled in Virginia in 1651.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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England
Ireland
