The ancestors of the bearers of the Cordinton family name are thought have lived in ancient
Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in one of the various settlements called Coddington in the counties of
Cheshire,
Derbyshire,
Hertfordshire, and
Nottinghamshire. Thus, the surname Cordinton belongs to the large category of
Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.
Early Origins of the Cordinton family
The surname Cordinton was first found in
Gloucestershire at Codrington, which dates back to at least the 12th century when it was listed as Cuderintuna and literally meant "estate associated with a man called Cuthhere" derived from the Old English
personal name + ing + tun.
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4) Another reference further breaks down the name Cuthhere or Cuohere as a personal name composed of the elements "cuo" meaning famous or well-known + "here," meaning army.
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
Early History of the Cordinton family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cordinton research.
Another 135 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1668, 1710 and 1691 are included under the topic Early Cordinton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Cordinton Spelling Variations
Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently,
Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of
spelling variations. Changes in
Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Cordinton include Codrington, Coddrington, Codrinton, Coddrinton and others.
Early Notables of the Cordinton family (pre 1700)
Notables of this surname at this time include: Christopher Codrington (1668-1710), British soldier, slaver, bibliophile and colonial governor who upon his death bequeathed his slave plantations to found Codrington College, St. John...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cordinton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Cordinton family to the New World and Oceana
Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled 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 ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Cordinton or a variant listed above: Jonathon Coddrington who settled in Barbados in 1680 with his servants; Robert Codrington settled in Barbados with his wife and daughter in 1678; Lieutenant Codrington also settled in Barbados in 1679.
The Cordinton 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: Immersabillis est vera virtus
Motto Translation: True virtue cannot be conquered.