CORDER
Corder is a surname of English and French provenance, classed as an occupational name. Its etymology derives from the Old French word cordier, meaning a maker of cords or rope, and from the Middle English term cord-wainer, indicating a craftsman who worked with fine leather or cords. The name thus signified an ancestral link to a specific trade.
Historical records confirm the early use of the surname in England. The first documented spelling is that of Walter Corde, appearing in the Abbott Samson's Kalender of Bury St. Edmunds in 1182, during the reign of King Henry XI. The name also appears in Essex in the mid‑sixteenth century, as in the christening of an infant named Mary Cordy in Colchester on 26 January 1560. Variants recorded over the centuries include Corday, Cordee, Cordier, Cordie, Cordar, and Corde.
The French origins of the surname are further illustrated by connections to the Gallo‑Roman personal name Cordus, meaning “young” or “new”, and to places in Normandy such as Orne, Bouce, and Montree. The Old French noun Corde itself is derived from the Latin orda and the Greek khorde, all meaning string or cord. Some records suggest a locational derivation, but the predominant sense remains occupational.
In addition to rope‑making, the term cordovan (Old French cordoan) originally denoted a soft leather imported from Cordoba, Spain, and was later anglicised to corder. Consequently, the surname also described a craftsman specialising in the manufacture of high‑quality shoes and other items from fine soft leather, further reinforcing its occupational character.
Contemporary distribution shows that the Corder name is most common in the United Kingdom, particularly in London, Suffolk and Essex, and in the United States, with concentrations in Texas, Missouri and Ohio. Migration has also established the surname in Australia. While variants such as Cordier in France, Cordeaio in Italy, and Cordero in Spanish‑speaking countries exist, these derivatives are not necessarily indicative of a shared lineage but share a common occupational root relating to cord or leather work.
Typical given names associated with the Corder surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Daniel
- David
- John
- Mark
- Matthew
- Michael
- Neil
- Peter
- Rab
- Robert
Female
- Amanda
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Hilary
- Jacqueline
- Joan
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Maria
- Maureen
- Rachel
- Samantha
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Carder
- Cardier
- Cardar
- Cardor
- Cardery
- Croder
- Corde
- Cordea
- Cordera
- Cordero
- Carderey
- Cauder
- Cawder
- Cordar
- Cordara
- Cordaro
- Cordaroy
- Cordeiro
- Corderey
- Corderley
- Corderoy
- Corders
- Cordery
- Cordez
- Cordier
- Cordiero
- Cordner
- Cordor
- Cordory
- Cordray
- Corduer
- Corduroy
- Corda
- Cordel
- Cordes
- Cordle
- Cordran
- Cordraw
- Cordrey
- Cordroy
- Cordry
- Corer
- Corredor
- Corter
- Cowdrey
- Crader
- Crawder
- Kardar
- Kirdar
- Cord
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Corder in...
Braille
⠉⠕⠗⠙⠑⠗
Morse
-.-.---.-.-....-.
Semaphore
There are approximately 539 people named Corder in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around eight in a million people in Britain are named Corder.
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 Corder
- Ian Corder - Senior Royal Navy officer who served as UK Military Representative to NATO
- Pit Corder - Language scholar from England (1918 to 1990)
- Frederick Corder - Composer and music teacher (1852 to 1932)
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.