Corkern History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Corkern comes from the Gaelic Mac Corcrain or Ó Corcrain, both of which are derived from the word "corcair," which now means purple, but originally meant ruddy. 1

Early Origins of the Corkern family

The surname Corkern was first found in County Fermanagh (Irish: Fear Manach) in the southwestern part of Northern Ireland, Province of Ulster, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the Corkern family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Corkern research. Another 194 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1001, 1172, 1373, 1641, 1691, 1827, 1861 and 1863 are included under the topic Early Corkern History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Corkern Spelling Variations

One must realize that attempting to record a Gaelic name in English was a daunting task. Even today the translation is a difficult one. Names, therefore, often had many spelling variations. The variations of the name Corkern include: MacCorcoran, O'Corcoran and others.

Early Notables of the Corkern family

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

Migration of the Corkern family

Suffering from poverty and racial discrimination, thousands of Irish families left the island in the 19th century for North America aboard cramped passenger ships. The early migrants became settlers of small tracts of land, and those that came later were often employed in the new cities or transitional work camps. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. Although the immigrants from this period were often maligned when they arrived in the United States, they provided the cheap labor that was necessary for the development of that country as an industrial power. Early immigration and passenger lists have revealed many immigrants bearing the name Corkern: Thomas Corcoran who settled in New York State in 1811; Edward Corcoran, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1825; Andrew Corcoran, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1832.

The Corkern 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: In fide et in bello fortis
Motto Translation: Strong in both faith and war.

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)