CORNES
Cornes is a surname of Anglo‑English origin, with a documented presence in the British Isles dating back to the late 13th century. The name first appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, where it is recorded as Badekoc Korneys. It subsequently occurs in a variety of medieval records, including a 1327 entry in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk and a 1375 mention in the Pleas of London.
Scholars trace the etymology of Cornes to the Old French word cornes, meaning “horns.” This derivation suggests that the surname may have been originally a nickname for an individual with a prominent or distinctive feature resembling horns, or for a person associated with horned animals. Alternatively, it could have been applied to someone of a strong or forceful personality, as was common with medieval nicknames that later became hereditary surnames.
Another account associates the name with Anglo‑Saxon origins, positing that it is a regional form of cornisc, an early English term for a person from Cornwall. This theory links the surname to the Olde English words corn (a crane) and the adjectival suffix -isc, together yielding cornish – “a Cornish man.” The earliest recorded use of the word cornish dates to 1547. Although most common in coastal counties such as Devon and Cornwall, the surname has been identified as far east as Colchester and as far north as Preston.
Documented examples of the surname include John Corneys in 1327 and Henry Cornysh in 1375, illustrating early orthographic diversity. Later records show the name stabilising, for instance Roger, son of Richard and Elizabeth Cornes, who was christened on 16 April 1577 at Water’s Upton in Shropshire, and Katherine Cornes, who married Thomas Harper on 2 August 1590 in London.
The heraldic emblem that most commonly associates with the Cornes lineage depicts a black shield charged with a gold embattled chevron, positioned between three silver roses. This coat of arms is held by the family and has been recorded in several armorial sources.
Today the surname Cornes remains largely concentrated within the United Kingdom, with a notable presence in the East of England, reflecting its medieval origins in counties such as Suffolk and Shropshire. The name continues to be used in its traditional form, preserving a link to its historical roots in both French and Anglo‑Saxon linguistic heritage.
Typical given names associated with the Cornes surname
Male
- Alan
- Andrew
- David
- James
- John
- Jonathan
- Michael
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Diane
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Jennifer
- Julie
- Lynn
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Rachel
- Sarah
- Stephanie
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Carnes
- Cairnes
- Carns
- Cairns
- Carne
- Carn
- Carnns
- Carnis
- Corens
- Crones
- Corne
- Cornea
- Cairens
- Cairins
- Cairn
- Cairne
- Cairness
- Cairnos
- Cairons
- Caranci
- Caranese
- Carans
- Caranza
- Caranzo
- Carence
- Carens
- Carenza
- Carenzi
- Carinci
- Carins
- Carinus
- Carnazza
- Carness
- Carnice
- Carnzu
- Carones
- Carons
- Carrance
- Carrans
- Carranza
- Carrins
- Caunes
- Chorn
- Chorne
- Chorney
- Corans
- Core
- Coreney
- Coreni
- Cores
- Cormes
- Corn
- Corna
- Cornah
- Cornay
- Corneau
- Cornec
- Corneck
- Corneh
- Cornel
- Cornen
- Corner
- Corners
- Corness
- Cornet
- Cornew
- Corney
- Cornez
- Cornice
- Cornie
- Cornis
- Corno
- Corns
- Cornsay
- Cornu
- Corny
- Coronas
- Coroneos
- Corones
- Coronis
- Corrance
- Corrans
- Corrins
- Corrons
- Courn
- Courne
- Courney
- Courns
- Crance
- Cranes
- Cranies
- Cranis
- Cranness
- Crannis
- Crans
- Cranz
- Crince
- Crines
- Cronce
- Cronnis
- Crownes
- Crowns
- Crrainse
- Curn
- Curne
- Curnes
- Curness
- Curns
- Currance
- Currans
- Currence
- Currens
- Currins
- Gairns
- Garnes
- Garness
- Garneys
- Garnis
- Garniss
- Garns
- Garnys
- Garrens
- Gorence
- Gorines
- Graines
- Grains
- Grance
- Granes
- Granese
- Granis
- Grannis
- Grans
- Greanes
- Greenace
- Greenes
- Greeness
- Greens
- Greenus
- Grenz
- Grince
- Grines
- Grinis
- Grinius
- Grinnes
- Grins
- Grones
- Gronies
- Gronous
- Growns
- Gruenes
- Grunes
- Grunis
- Gruniss
- Grunza
- Guerins
- Guirinnys
- Kairinos
- Kairnes
- Kairns
- Karanasiou
- Karans
- Karenzi
- Karnas
- Karne
- Karnes
- Karnis
- Karns
- Karonias
- Karonis
- Keairns
- Kearins
- Kearnes
- Kearns
- Kearons
- Keirans
- Keirns
- Keorns
- Kerans
- Kerens
- Kerins
- Kerne
- Kernes
- Kerneys
- Kerns
- Kerrins
- Kierans
- Kierns
- Kirnes
- Kirns
- Korn
- Kornas
- Kornis
- Koroneos
- Koronias
- Koronis
- Kragnes
- Kraines
- Krainz
- Kranias
- Kranios
- Krans
- Kranse
- Kranss
- Kranz
- Kraunsoe
- Krence
- Krens
- Krenz
- Kriens
- Krones
- Krons
- Kurnaz
- Quearns
- Querns
- Carney
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Cornes in...
Braille
⠉⠕⠗⠝⠑⠎
Morse
-.-.---.-.-.....
Semaphore
There are approximately 1,924 people named Cornes in the UK. That makes it roughly the 4,352nd most common surname in Britain. Around 30 in a million people in Britain are named Cornes.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Cornes
- Jerry Cornes - Athlete (1910 to 2001)
- John Cornes - Australian rugby union player (1947 to 2014)
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.