COOK
Cook is an English occupational surname whose origins lie in the Anglo‑Saxon period. The name derives from the Old English word coc, itself taken from the Latin cocus, meaning “cook”. In Middle English it appears as “cok” or “cook”, denoting a person who prepared food for a living.
The surname is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a Galter Coc is listed in Essex. Earlier evidence occurs in the Anglo‑Saxon wills of the mid‑10th century, where the spelling Aelfsige thene Coc is noted around 950 during the reign of King Edred. Subsequent medieval documents record the name in both England and Scotland: Richard Cocus held lands in Berwick after 1147, Raginaldus the Cook witnessed a church gift in Kyle circa 1177, and individuals such as Henry Coke and Ralph le Cook appear in Somerset and Sussex in the late 13th century.
As an occupational name, Cook originally identified a household cook, a seller of cooked meats, or the keeper of an eating house. The name could be attached to a professional employed in a noble household or to a village cook serving the local community. Over the centuries the surname has become widespread across English‑speaking nations, no longer signalling a specific trade.
The name enjoys a distinguished pedigree in British historical records. Forty entries concerning bearers of the name appear in the *Dictionary of National Biography*, and more than fifty coats of arms have been attributed to different branches of the family. Notable individuals include Sir Thomas Cooke, who served as Sheriff of London in 1453 and Lord Mayor in 1462, and Sir George Cooke, commander of the first division of guards at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. In the early colonial period, Garret Cooke embarked for Virginia in 1635, representing one of the first recorded bearers of the name in America.
One of the most frequently cited heraldic devices associated with the surname features a gold shield bearing a red chevron between two lions passant guardant. This emblem reflects the long and varied history of a name that began as a simple occupational label and has grown to encompass a rich tapestry of social, geographic and genealogical significance.
Typical given names associated with the Cook surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Julie
- Linda
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
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 Cook in...
Braille
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Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Cook are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Custard Cream.
There are approximately 91,191 people named Cook in the UK. That makes it the 64th most common surname in Britain. Around 1,400 in a million people in Britain are named Cook.
Surname type: Occupational name
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Cook
- Norman Quentin Cook - DJ, musician, and record producer
- James Cook - Explorer, navigator (1728 to 1779)
- Peter Cook - Actor, satirist, writer and comedian (1937 to 1995)
- Paul Cook - Drummer
- Samuel Cook - American recording artist; singer-songwriter and entrepreneur (1931 to 1964)
- Jamie Cook - Guitarist for Arctic Monkeys
- Robin Cook - Labour Party politician (1946 to 2005)
- Alastair Cook - Cricketer
- Tim Cook - American business executive
- Lewis Cook - Football player
- Thomas Cook - Founder of the travel agency Thomas Cook & Son (1808 to 1892)
- Rachael Leigh Cook - Model
- Steve Cook - Football player
- Iain Cook - Scottish musician
- Roger Cook - Singer, songwriter and record producer
- Dane Cook - American actor and comedian
- Katie Elizabeth Cook - Model
- Sue Cook - Television and radio presenter
- Peter Cook - Architect
- James Cook - Actor
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.