Cornil History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Cornil history begins in Cornwall, a rugged coastal region in southwestern England. Quite distinct from Devon, the adjoining county, Cornwall had its own spoken language until the late 18th century. The Cornil history began here. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames were derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used local surnames. The Cornil family originally lived in the county of Cornwall in southwest England.

Early Origins of the Cornil family

The surname Cornil was first found in St. Stephens in Brannell, Cornwall. "The manor of Brannell was granted by King John to Richard Earl of Cornwall and king of the Romans. By Richard it was given to Richard de Cornubia, or Cornwall, his natural son by Joan de Valletort, widow of Sir Alexander Oakeston. William de Cornwall of Court in this parish, is mentioned by Prince as first prior of Bewley; and afterwards in 1272, abbot of Newham in Devon. He is represented as living to a great age, and as dying in the year 1320 blind and decrepid. Godfrey de Cornwall, a Carmelite friar who distinguished himself as the author of several learned works about the year 1300, is said to have been born at [the]Court [manor house]." 1

Some of the family emigrated to Ireland in the fourteenth century where the name was typically spelt Cornwalsh, Cornwalysch or Cornwallis. It is thought that the progenitor in Ireland was Sir John de Cornwall or Cornwaille, Constable of Carlow Castle who settled in the time of Edward III. From this family was find John le Cornwaleys of Dublin, an attorney listed in 1310 and James Cornwalsh (died 1441), an Irish judge who held the office of Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer. He was murdered in a feud over the possession of Baggotrath Castle, near Dublin. Later, Sir John Cornwalsh, or Cornwalysch (died 1472) was an Irish judge who held the office of Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer. He was probably born at Dunboyne in County Meath.

Early History of the Cornil family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cornil research. Another 195 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1180, 1452, 1467, 1468, 1502, 1503, 1505, 1506, 1513, 1514, 1515, 1516, 1519, 1520, 1537, 1581, 1601, 1605, 1610, 1613, 1632, 1644, 1654, 1655, 1659, 1660, 1662, 1673, 1675, 1685, 1689, 1692, 1693, 1698, 1717, 1797 and 1842 are included under the topic Early Cornil History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cornil Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Cornwall, Cornelle, Cornell, Cornwell, Cornewall, Cornal, Cornale, Cornevale, Carnwell, Carnewell, Carnville, Carnevale, Cornhall, Cornehall, Cornhale, Cornwale, Curnow (from native Cornish word) and many more.

Early Notables of the Cornil family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Thomas Cornwall, High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1452 and 1467; Jane Cornwallis (1581-1659), an English lady whose private correspondence (1613-1644) were published in 1842, mother of Frederick Cornwallis; Thomas Cornwallis (c. 1605-1675), an English politician and colonial administrator, one of the first Commissioners of the Province of Maryland; Frederick Cornwallis, 1st Baron Cornwallis Bt KT (1610-1662), an English peer, MP and Privy Councillor; Charles Cornwallis, 2nd Baron Cornwallis of Eye (1632-1673), an English landowner...
Another 82 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cornil Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cornil Ranking

In France, the name Cornil is the 7,648^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,065 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Cornil family to Ireland

Some of the Cornil family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cornil migration to the United States +

In the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Cornil

Cornil Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Cornil, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1636 3

The Cornil 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: La Vie Durante
Motto Translation: During life.

Citations +

Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)