Show ContentsCorkery History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Anglo-Saxon name Corkery comes from when its first bearer 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 Corkery family

The surname Corkery 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 Corkery family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Corkery 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 Corkery History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Corkery 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 Corkery include Corker, Coroor, Corcher, Corkar and others.

Early Notables of the Corkery 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...
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Corkery Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Corkery Ranking

In the United States, the name Corkery is the 14,947th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Corkery family to Ireland

Some of the Corkery 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.


Corkery migration to the United States +

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 Corkery or a variant listed above:

Corkery Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Corkery, who landed in Missouri in 1848 3
  • Margaret Corkery, aged 4, who landed in New York in 1849 3
  • Morris Corkery, aged 36, who landed in New York in 1849 3

Corkery migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Corkery Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Bridget Corkery, aged 10, who landed in Canada in 1823
  • Elisa Corkery, aged 18, who arrived in Canada in 1823
  • Ellen Corkery, aged 20, who landed in Canada in 1823
  • Mary Corkery, aged 3, who arrived in Canada in 1823
  • Michael Corkery, aged 3, who landed in Canada in 1823
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Corkery 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:

Corkery Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Dennis Corkery, aged 35, a labourer, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Gertrude" in 1841 4
  • Mary Corkery, aged 28, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Gertrude" in 1841 4
  • Julia Corkery, aged 17, a domestic servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mariner" in 1849
  • Miss B. Corkery, (b. 1846), aged 20, British dairymaid travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 5th January 1867 5
  • Miss Bridget Corkery, (b. 1844), aged 22, British dairymaid travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 5th January 1867 5
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Corkery (post 1700) +

  • KC Corkery (b. 1983), American former male tennis player; he competed in the men's singles of the 2002 US Open and the men's doubles of the 2004 US Open
  • William Corkery III (b. 1993), American voice actor, best known as the voice of Miles "Tails" Prower in the Sonic the Hedgehog series of games
  • Colin Corkery (b. 1971), former Irish Gaelic footballer for the Nemo Rangers (1990-2000) and for Cork (1993-2004)
  • Daniel "Dan" Corkery (1883-1961), Irish politician, Commandant in the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during the Irish War of Independence
  • Sean David Corkery (b. 1972), retired Irish rugby union player who won 27 caps for Ireland between 1994 and 1999
  • Daniel Corkery (1878-1964), Irish politician, writer and teacher, best known as the author of The Hidden Ireland
  • Niall Corkery, Irish Gaelic footballer
  • James Corkery (b. 1889), Canadian marathon runner at the 1912 Summer Olympics
  • Pamela "Pam" Corkery (b. 1956), New Zealand journalist, broadcaster, and former politician
  • Briege Corkery (b. 1987), Irish camogie player, footballer, and stonemason, winner of All Ireland camogie medals in 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009


The Corkery 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.


  1. 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)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. 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)
  4. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th December 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  5. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


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