Authentic Cornish Surnames

What I love about the Guppy book (discussed in the previous blog) is that by virtue of having been written in 1890, many of the British still lived near the place of their birth. This date is important in the study of Cornwall because it was around this time that the tin mining industry pretty much came to a halt in England’s westernmost country, which had led the world in the production of tin. The Cornish had always made their living from the sea (fishing) and mining. Once the tin mines closed, many in Cornwall left—many even leaving for foreign parts like the United States.

At the writing of Guppy’s book, there were some 300 family names that were peculiar only to Cornwall. Regardless of locale, some of these are still awfully unique—and often humorous, like Cobbledick or Kneebone. How would you fancy being Mr. and Mrs. Pedler?

Read on for those unique Cornish names.

Cornish names starting with “B” 

Benny, Berriman, Berryman, Bice, Biddick, Blamey, Boaden, Boase, Bolitho, Borlase, Brendon, Budge, Bullmore, Bunt, and Burnard.

Cornish names starting with “C”

Cardell, Carlyon, Carne, Carveth, Cawrse, Chenoweth, Clemow, Clyma, Clymo, Clymo, Coad, Cobbledick, Cobeldick,  Congdon, Couch, Cowling, Crago,  Cragoe, Craze, Cowle, Cundy, and Curnow.

Cornish names starting with D-G 

Dingle, Dunstan, Dunstone, Eddy, Eva, Freethy, Galty, Geach, Geake, Gerry, Gillbard, Glasson,  Goldsworthy, Grigg, Grose, and Gynn.

Cornish names H-J 

Hambly, Hawke, Hawken, Hawkey, Hayne, Hearle, Henwood, Higman, Hodge, Hollow, Hotten, Ivey, Jane, Jasper, Jelbart, Jelbert, Jenkin, Jose, and Julian, and Julyan.

Cornish names K,L 

Keast, Kerkin, Kestle, Kevern, Kitto, Kittow, Kneebone, Laity, Lander, Lanyon, Lawry, Lean, Liddicoat, Littlejohn, Littleton, Lobb, Lory, Lugg, and Lyle.

Cornish names M-O 

Mably, Maddaford, Maddiver, Magor, Mayne, Morcom, Morkam, Moyle, Mutton, Nance, Oats, Oates, Odger, Odgers, Old, Olver, Opie, and Oppy.

Cornish Names Starting with “P” 

Pascoe, Paynter, Pearn, Pedlar, Pedler, Pender, Pengilly, Penna, Penrose, Peter, Pethick, Philp, Pinch, Polkinghorne, and Prisk.

Cornish names beginning with R-S

Raddall, Raddle, Rapson, Retallack, Retallick, Rickard, Rodda, Roose, Rosevcare, Rosewarne, Roskelly, Roskilly, Rouse, Rowse, Rundle, and Runnalls. Sandercrock, Sandry, Scantlebury, Seccombe, Skewes, and Spargo.

Cornish names beginning with “T” 

Tamblin, Tinney, Tippett, Toll, Tom, Tonkin, Trebilcock, Tregear, Tregellas, Tregelles, Tregoning, Treleaven, Treloar, Tremain, Tremayne, Trembath, Trerise, Tresidder, Trethewey, Trevail, Treweeke, Trewhella, Trewin, Tripcony, Trounson, Trudgen, Trudgeon, Trudgian, Truscott, Tyack, and Tyacke.

Cornish Names beginning with U-Y 

Uren, Vellenoweth, Venning, Verran, Vivian, Vosper, Wearne, Wellington, Whetter, Wickett, Woodley, Woolcock, and Yelland.

–Cheryl Bolen is the NY Times and USA Today bestselling author of three dozen historical romances set in Regency England. Watch for her Deceived Series, with His Lady Deceived releasing Sept. 3, 2019. More information is available at http://www.CherylBolen.com.