The Cornwell surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 12,168 people carried this name — #2,950 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 24,200 people counted. That is up 2% from 11,893 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Cornwell surname

From Old English crana (“cranes”) + well (“spring, well”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Cornwell» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

An early record he cites: Hugo de Cornub’, Devon, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Cornwall and Cornwell.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 206 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Cornwell was found among the farmers of 3 counties.

It was most frequent in Hertfordshire: 35 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 286. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Hertfordshire 35
Cambridgeshire 20
Sussex 18

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

134 families named Cornwell, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 725 people lived in those households, 5.4 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 4 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

New York 81
Connecticut 28
Massachusetts 10
Virginia 4
North Carolina 4
Vermont 3
Pennsylvania 3
South Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 235 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Cornwell in American newspapers,
1904–1916.

Newspaper page from The Birmingham Age-herald carrying the name Cornwell
The Birmingham Age-herald 1904-12-22
Newspaper page from The Evening World carrying the name Cornwell
The Evening World 1912-08-06
Newspaper page from Manchester Democrat carrying the name Cornwell
Manchester Democrat 1916-05-03

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 72,063 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Cornwell in Australian newspapers,
1840s–2000s.

13,370 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Cornwell. The most, 2,357, date from the 1880s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Australian Capital Territory, at 1.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 6,091
Victoria 2,413
Queensland 1,759
South Australia 1,671
ACT (Canberra) 661
Tasmania 386
Western Australia 336
Northern Territory 21

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Cornwell.

Who carried it

People named Cornwell,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Almon Cornwell
    Almon Cornwell 1820–1893 · politician
  • William H. Cornwell
    William H. Cornwell 1843–1903 · politician
  • William B. Cornwell
    William B. Cornwell 1864–1926 · lawyer
  • John J. Cornwell
    John J. Cornwell 1867–1953 · teacher
  • May Evelyn Cornwell d. 1927
  • Isaac Cornwell 1774–1811 · farmer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Cornwell,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,124 records

1,124 records of the Cornwell name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 478
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 276
  • Other U.S. records 370
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Leon Lawrence Cornwell

    Born 1945; from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1967 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam. Buried at Beverly National Cemetery, New Jersey.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Thurlow Cornwell

    Born 1921 in Virginia. Enlisted 1942 at Los Angeles, California; electrician. U.S. Air Force veteran of World War II and the Korean War; died 1995, buried at Riverside National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Hanah Cornwell

    Arrived at New York in 1854 aboard the Christiana from London, aged 28; servant. From Germany.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,124 records for Cornwell in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia276 records

276 records of the Cornwell name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 97
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 92
  • Other Australian records 87
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Thomas Cornwell

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Malabar, arriving 1819; ticket of leave 1828.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Edd W. Cornwell

    Arrived in Victoria in 1855 aboard the Blackwall, aged 18; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Jack Cornwell

    Salesman of Melbourne, Victoria; died 1959.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 276 records for Cornwell in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada87 records

87 records of the Cornwell name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 67
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 8
  • Other Canadian records 12
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Henry William Cornwell

    Buried in 1978 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 90.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Janet May Cornwell

    Died 1962 in Digby, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record George Francis Cornwell

    Died in service in 1944.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 87 records for Cornwell in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom20 records

20 records of the Cornwell name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 13
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 7
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Cornwell

    Buried in 1828 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 25.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record F. G. Cornwell

    Royal Garrison Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Sarah Cornwell

    Buried in 1815 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 46.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 20 records for Cornwell in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Netherlands6 records

6 records of the Cornwell name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 4
  • Dutch population registers 2
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Alexander Cornwell

    Married in 1660 in Rotterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Hendrik Lodewijk Cornwell

    In the population register of Amsterdam; born 1889 in Amsterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Amsterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Agnes Cornwell

    Married in 1644 in Rotterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 6 records for Cornwell in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

New Zealand5 records

5 records of the Cornwell name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Frederick Norman Cornwell

    Died 1986, aged 84; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Bessie Cornwell

    Died 1966, aged 72; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Agnes Reid Cornwell

    Died 1917, aged 61; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Cornwell in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Cornwell.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Cornwell is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Cornwell volume
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