Show ContentsCorlett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Corlett comes from the Old Norse forename Thorliotr, meaning "Thor-people." It was Gaelicized to MacThorliotr; however in Gaelic the letters "Th" are not pronounced after the prefix "Mac," thus the surname came to be elided to MacCorlett.

Early Origins of the Corlett family

The surname Corlett was first found in on the Isle of Man. The Vikings had conquered the island from the Celts in the 9th century, and ruled it from Dublin. They settled on the island and intermarried with the Gaelic Scoti people, who had migrated from Ireland to Man and Scotland much earlier.

Early History of the Corlett family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Corlett research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1504 and 1511 are included under the topic Early Corlett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Corlett Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Corlett, Corlet, MacCorlett and others.

Early Notables of the Corlett family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was

  • the Corlett family of Lezayre

Corlett Ranking

In the United States, the name Corlett is the 15,223rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


Corlett migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Corlett Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Elijah Corlett, who landed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1644 2
Corlett Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Corlett and William Corlett were naturalized in South Carolina in 1797 and 1806
  • Daniel Corlett was naturalized in Ohio in 1844
  • H. Corlett, who landed in San Francisco in 1852
  • Edmund Corlett, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1879 2
  • Isabella Corlett, aged 31, who landed in America from I of Man, in 1892
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Corlett Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Sarah Corlett, aged 47, who landed in America from Tyrone, in 1900
  • John Joseph Corlett, aged 22, who landed in America from Foxdale, in 1904
  • John Corlett, aged 19, who settled in America from Clirden, Ireland, in 1905
  • Christopher Corlett, aged 58, who landed in America, in 1905
  • Clara Corlett, aged 16, who settled in America, in 1905
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Corlett migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Corlett Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
  • Eilene M. Corlett, aged 23, who settled in Montreal, Canada in 1912
  • Albert V. Corlett, aged 25, who settled in Loanda, Canada, in 1924

Corlett migration to Australia +

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

Corlett Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Corlett, British Convict who was convicted in Isle of Man for 10 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 12th March 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 3

Corlett 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:

Corlett Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Benjamin J. Corlett, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Annie Wilson" in 1863
  • Claude F. Corlett, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Annie Wilson" in 1863

Contemporary Notables of the name Corlett (post 1700) +

  • William Wellington Corlett (1842-1890), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wyoming Territory's at-large congressional district (1877-1879)
  • Claire Corlett, American BTVA People's Choice Voice Acting Award winning voice over actress
  • George Milton Corlett, American politician, 24th Lieutenant Governor of Colorado (1927-1931)
  • Charles Harrison Corlett (1889-1971), nicknamed “Cowboy Pete,” U.S. Army major general, Commander of the Pacific and European Theaters during World War II
  • Yvette Winifred Corlett CNZM, MBE (b. 1929), New Zealand five-time gold medalist long jumper, the first woman from New Zealand to win an Olympic gold medal
  • Peter Corlett (b. 1944), Australian sculptor, known for his memorial works, perhaps best known for his "Simpson and his donkey" unveiled in 1915 commemorating the courage and compassion of John Simpson Kirkpatrick, a stretcher bearer during the Gallipoli Campaign in World War I
  • John Corlett (b. 1968), British Labour Party politician, Member of Parliament for York (1945-1950)
  • Marama Corlett, Maltese actress, known for her work in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Maleficent (2014) and The Devil's Double (2011)
  • Andrew T.K. Corlett, Manx jurist, the Second Deemster of the Isle of Man
  • William Corlett (1938-2005), English children's writer of science fiction and fantasy books for both children and adults, best known for his quartet of children's novels, The Magician's House
  • ... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMS Hood
  • Mr. John Corlett (b. 1918), English Engine Room Artificer 4th Class serving for the Royal Navy from Barrow-in-Furness, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 4


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th December 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
  4. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm


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