COCKCROFT
The surname Cockcroft is of English origin and is believed to have arisen during the early medieval period. The name is constructed from two Old English elements: cocc, meaning “rooster,” and croft, meaning “small enclosed field.” Consequently, the surname originally described an individual who lived near or worked within a small field where roosters were kept; it is therefore a descriptive or occupational surname linked to poultry farming.
In addition to its occupational interpretation, the name was also used as a locational surname. It may have denoted a person who came from a now-vanished place called a “cock croft” – an enclosure for raising poultry. Anglo‑Saxon place names were frequently formed from natural or man‑made features, and many such names were adopted as surnames in small medieval communities.
Historical records show that an estimated seven to ten thousand villages and hamlets in England have disappeared since the 12th century. The surname Cockcroft could be linked to one of these lost settlements, as the place itself is no longer extant.
The earliest definite recording of the name is found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, dated to 1296 and relating to the manor of Richard de Cocckecroft. This occurs under the reign of King Edward I, who was known as “The Hammer of the Scots” (1272–1307). The spellings at the time varied, and a later form recorded in 1698 shows the marriage of James Cockroft and Anne Herbert at St. Pancras, Old Church, London, on 19 May 1698.
Typical given names associated with the Cockcroft surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- John
- Matthew
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Philip
- Robert
- Simon
- Stephen
- Timothy
Female
- Alison
- Elizabeth
- Jacqueline
- Jane
- Janet
- Joanne
- Margaret
- Mary
- Sarah
- Susan
- Tara
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 Cockcroft in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 1,221 people named Cockcroft in the UK. That makes it roughly the 6,342nd most common surname in Britain. Around 19 in a million people in Britain are named Cockcroft.
Famous people named Cockcroft
- John Cockcroft - Physicist (1897 to 1967)
- Barry Cockcroft - Television director (1932 to 2001)
- John Cockcroft - Politician
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.