Surname de Cockborne - Meaning and Origin
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de Cockborne: What does the surname de Cockborne mean?
The last name de Cockborne is an old surname of French-Norman origin. The name means “of the marshy area”, referring to a marshy area in the area of Normandy, France, where many of the de Cockborne families settled in the 10th and 11th centuries. The de Cockborne name is first recorded in the late 14th century in the holdings of Odo de Cockborne of Breteuil, Normandy, and later appeared in the 16th century Falaise Roll – a record of those families that held land, titles, offices, and other hereditary privileges in the Counties of Normandy and Anjou.
The de Cockborne family were powerful landowners, merchants, and nobles in northern France; they held lands and had a strong presence in many local communities. They held high ranking positions and many held wealth and influence in the local towns. One notable de Cockborne was Robert de Cockborne, Lord of the Manor of Fork in the county of Hertfordshire, England during the reign of Elizabeth I.
But over time, the name died out in Britain and is still found more predominately in parts of Southern France. Today, people with the de Cockborne surname are widely scattered across the world. As the descendants of these powerful families have spread their wings and left France, they've taken their name with them, and today are found in places such as Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.
Order DNA origin analysisde Cockborne: Where does the name de Cockborne come from?
The last name de Cockborne is not common today, but there has been a notable noble family with the name over the centuries, stretching back to the Middle Ages in the Netherlands. The de Cockborne family originated in the district of Drenthe in the early 12th century and the earliest recorded use of the family name was Gherit de Cockborne, who was listed as being a knight in 1183.
Throughout the de Cockborne family's long history, they have served as noble courtiers, advisors and ambassadors to numerous monarchs in the Netherlands, France, and Spain. During the 19th century, the family was divided into three parts: de Cockborne as nobility; Cockborne as hereditary knights; and de Cockburne as civil servants.
Due to the family's long and illustrious history, none of the members of the de Cockborne family had to emigrate like most Dutch citizens at the time. As a result, it has remained largely confined to the Netherlands and most of its descendants still inhabit the same areas in the provinces of Drenthe and Overijssel. Today, the de Cockborne name is not widely seen, but it can still be found in the Netherlands.
Variations of the surname de Cockborne
De Cockborne is a very rare surname, but can be derived from several origins. It may be derived from a place name or a given name, or derive from other common Dutch surnames. Variants of the surname include: Cockburn, Cockbourn, Cokburn, Coeckborne and Cohonburn.
The origins of the surname may go back to the Old English term “cocca,” meaning “a male wild goose”. This could mean that the surname was first used as a nickname or sign of recognition among members of a particular breed. It could also have been used as a sign of an individual's noble ancestry.
The surname may also have been derived from the Dutch personal name “Cock”, or another remote origin would be the Old Dutch personal name “Corbon”. The diminish of this name to Cockburn suggests that it might have earned the respect of its bearer and eventually became passed down as a family name.
In Scotland, the surname is often associated with the Scottish Clan Cockburn. The Cockburns were an influential clan in Scotland from the 13th Century, descending from the Norman nobleman Richard Comyn. The predominant spelling of the surname in Scotland is Cockburn, however variants such as Cohonburn or Cocburn are recorded.
All of these names may have similar origin stories and histories, and a shared meaning that can be traced back, however they are all names with separate spellings and histories.
Famous people with the name de Cockborne
- Evelien de Cockborne: television celebrity and Dutch singer.
- Bastiaan de Cockborne: Dutch soccer player with a long career in the Eredivisie.
- Pieter de Cockborne: Dutch scholar of the Middle Ages.
- Hugo de Cockborne: Belgian philosopher who wrote extensively on moral and political theory.
- Margot de Cockborne: Belgian actress who starred primarily in Belgian television series.
- Jean-Claude de Cockborne: French author whose works include the novel "Les Neufs Couverts".
- Guido de Cockborne: Italian sculptor and painter, best known for his sculptures of animals.
- Etienne de Cockborne: French military leader during the Napoleonic Wars.
- Josiane de Cockborne: French historian who specialized in the history of medieval France.
- Cornelis de Cockborne: Dutch painter who specialized in still-life and landscapes.