Check out the surname dictionaries, even the mammoth Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, and you'll find Curnow classed as a locative name, a form of Kernow, the Cornish for Cornwall and a surname presumably given to a Cornishman. But this simple and apparently clearcut explanation may not be the right one. … Continue reading Curnow/Kernow. When the obvious meaning may not be so.
Tag: surnames
Cornwall’s 50 commonest surnames
Another ten surnames will take us to 50, actually 51 as there is a tie for 50th place. The list is still dominated by surnames derived from given or first names. This is similar to Wales and a symptom of the relatively late adoption of surnames in mid and west Cornwall when compared with England … Continue reading Cornwall’s 50 commonest surnames
Ten more surnames
The ten surnames below ranked 31st to 40th in the list of the most common surnames in Cornwall in 1861, just before the peak of emigration (and a century before mass immigration began). We're now beginning to meet more variation in the type of surname we're encountering, with the first occupational names and nicknames making … Continue reading Ten more surnames
Cornwall’s top surnames: the list continues
We’ve seen a list of the 20 or so commonest surnames in the nineteenth century. But what about the others? Over the next few months when I have time I’ll post the top 200 names (combining spelling variants as far as possible) in batches of ten, with their supposed type and the number of households … Continue reading Cornwall’s top surnames: the list continues
The Surnames of Cornwall: new edition goes live
We interrupt this series on Cornwall's top 20 surnames to bring you news that a new edition of The Surnames of Cornwall is now available as an e-book, paperback or hardback. For further details see here. Normal service will be resumed tomorrow with Cornwall's 8th most common surname.
Good news and bad
The good news is that the perfect Christmas gift for any proud Cornish man or woman is still available. There is still time to order The Real World of Poldark or The Surnames of Cornwall before Christmas - and at the laughably low price of £9.99 plus postage. The bad news is that, having pegged … Continue reading Good news and bad
Maps for the surnames Rowe and Worden
You can find maps of these in 1861 for comparison here. In the meantime, if you want information on a surname that hasn’t appeared in my book or been a subject of a previous blog do let me know.
Two surnames in Cornwall: a study in contrasts
The next two requests for information on the history of surnames in Cornwall bring together a starkly contrasting pair. One is fairly common; the other relatively rare. One was present early in east Cornwall before dispersing more widely; the other arrived late and remained mainly restricted to a small district. One has its origin in … Continue reading Two surnames in Cornwall: a study in contrasts
Two surnames; two questions
Fanfare in order. This is the first of my on-demand surname blogs, where I respond to requests for information on surnames in Cornwall that do not appear in my The Surnames of Cornwall or in any previous blog. If you’re interested in any such surname let me know and I’ll see what I can find … Continue reading Two surnames; two questions
From rarer Cornish surnames to surnames on demand
The origin of Whitehair would seem to be obvious – a nickname for someone with white or grey hair. Not so. According to the guru of English surnames, P.H.Reaney, this is a version of the original Whityer, an occupational name for a white leather dresser. His theory would appear to be backed up by the … Continue reading From rarer Cornish surnames to surnames on demand
Cornish studies resources 