Contents [hide]

Corker History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Corker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Corker finds its origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxons of England. It was given to one who worked as a caulker, a person who waterproofed tubs, barrels, and ships. It is also possibly an occupational name for a person who made and sold a purple dye. However, that origin is in Ireland, and it is unlikely that it is connected to this Northern English name.

Early Origins of the Corker family

The surname Corker was first found in Lancashire, now part of the County of Cumbria where the family lived in Barrow-in-Furness, now a large industrial town and seaport community.

While the name has traditionally been understood to be a trade name, there is also a Norman influence as seen by Arnulf de Corcres who was listed in Normandy in the Mang. Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae of 1180-1195. The same reference lists Geoffrey Chorger or Churger in England as listed in the Hundredorum Rolls (Rotuli Hundredorum) c. 1272. 1

Early History of the Corker family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Corker research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1297, 1338, 1549, 1584, 1629, 1636, 1651, 1696, 1700, 1705, 1715, 1722 and 1808 are included under the topic Early Corker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Corker Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Corker has been recorded under many different variations, including Corker, Coroor, Corcher, Corkar and others.

Early Notables of the Corker family

Notables of the family at this time include

Adam le Corker, a prominent 13th century landholder in Yorkshire
James Corker (1636-1715), Benedictine monk, a native of Yorkshire
Maurus (James) Corker (1636-1715) was an English Benedictine who was accused and imprisoned as part of the Popish Plot

Corker Ranking

In the United States, the name Corker is the 18,760^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Corker family to Ireland

Some of the Corker family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Corker migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Corker or a variant listed above:

Corker Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Elizabeth Corker, aged 19, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Transport" 3
Susan Corker, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 3
Susanna Corker, who landed in Virginia in 1652 3
William Corker, who landed in Virginia in 1656 3
Thomas Corker, who arrived in Maryland in 1663 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Corker Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Michael Corker, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1754 3

Corker migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Corker Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Matthew Corker, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749-1752

Corker migration to Australia +

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

Corker Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Henry Corker, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on May 17, 1823, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 4

Corker migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Corker Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William J. Corker, aged 26, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Arethusa" in 1879

Contemporary Notables of the name Corker (post 1700) +

Robert Phillips "Bob" Corker Jr. (b. 1952), United States Senator from Tennessee
Bill Corker, co-founder of Denton Corker Marshall (DCM), an award winning Australian architecture firm

The Corker 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: Sacrificium Dei cor contritum
Motto Translation: The sacrifice of God is a contrite heart.

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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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) Albion voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1823 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1823