CORNWALL

Cornwall is a surname of English origin that derives from the county of Cornwall in the south‑west of England. Its earliest use was as a locational name, indicating that the person who bore it had come from that region or had a significant association with it.

The name is believed to come from the Old English word cornwealas, meaning “Cornishman” or “person from Cornwall”. In medieval Latin it was often written de Cornubia, and in Cornish the name appears as Kernow. The earliest dated record of the surname is that of Roger de Cornwelle, dated 1161, in Eynsham, during the reign of King Henry I.

In addition to the Cornish origin, the name may refer to a small locality called Cornwall in Oxfordshire. There it would have been formed from the pre‑7th‑century Old English corn (a metathesised form of cron, cran, meaning “crane”) combined with well(a), meaning “spring” or “stream”. Variants that have appeared in the historical record include Cornewell, Cornewall and Cornwal.

A family associated with the name possesses a coat of arms that is described as a silver shield bearing a red lion rampant, crowned in gold, within a black bordure bezantee; the crest is a red demi‑lion rampant, also crowned in gold. The earliest recorded members of the family include Marye, son of Clementt Cornwell, christened on 7 December 1545 at St. Olave Old Jewry in London, and Jone Cornwell, who married Edward Hearne on 9 July 1565 at St. Margaret Lothbury in London.

In medieval records the surname is sometimes Latinised as de Cornubia, and the Cornish spelling Kernow is used by the native population. The name itself is thought to reflect the shape of the Cornish peninsula – the “horn” or headland – and the term wealas meaning “stranger”, indicating that the early inhabitants viewed themselves as distinct from the rest of England.

The name Cornwall continues to be found in England, particularly in areas adjacent to its region of origin such as Devon and Bristol. It has also spread to other English‑speaking countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, as a result of migration over the centuries. It is regarded as one of the older surnames recorded in the history of the British Isles.

Common variants of the surname include Cornwell, Cornewall, Cornall, Karnow and Corneille. It has also produced spellings that appear to be borrowed from Welsh, such as Curnow. Other surnames that share the root corn – for example corn, cornes, corner, cornman and cornhill – may also have a connection, though this is not guaranteed. Spelling variations such as Kornwall and cornvall have appeared over time as a result of changes in pronunciation and orthography. The surname should therefore be considered in its fuller historical context rather than by any single spelling alone.

Typical given names associated with the Cornwall surname

Male

• Andrew
• Darren
• David
• Ian
• James
• John
• Mark
• Michael
• Paul
• Peter
• Robert

Female

• Barbara
• Elizabeth
• Helene
• Jennifer
• Karen
• Lisa
• Margaret
• Mary
• Nicola
• Sarah
• Sharon
• Verena
• Victoria

Similar and related surnames

Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.

How to communicate the surname Cornwall in...

Braille

⠉⠕⠗⠝⠺⠁⠇⠇

Morse

-.-.---.-.-..--.-.-...-..

Semaphore

Surname type: Location or geographical feature

Origin: English

Region of origin: British Isles

Country of origin: England

Religion of origin: Christian

Language of origin: English

Famous people named Cornwall

• Frisco is the stage name of Deshane Cornwall - Grime MC and member of Boy Better Know
• Edwin Cornwall - Politician (1863 to 1953)
• Andrea Cornwall - Professor of anthropology and development in the school of global studies at University of Sussex
• Alan Cornwall - Cricketer (1898 to 1984)

Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.

Your comments on the Cornwall surname