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Origin of Surnames: Conwill, Conwell, Cromwell, Cornwall

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Replies: 5

Re: Origin of Surnames: Conwill, Conwell, Cromwell, Cornwall

Posted: 13 Jul 2005 9:08AM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 14 Jul 2005 6:05AM GMT
Surnames: Cornwell
I followed my own advice, in a post a couple of posts down from yours, and found this:

Cornwell is an English regional name from the County of Cornwall, named for an Old English tribal name Cornwealas , from Kernow -- the name the Cornish people used to describe themselves, possibly meaning "horn, headland" + wealas = strangers, foreigners. Occasionally, Cornwell is a place name from Cornwell in Oxfordshire, from Old English corn < cron, cran = crane + wella = spring, stream. Cornwall and Curnow are variations.

I'll leave the rest to you; no sense in my having all of the fun.

Family names evolved over hundreds of years, as towns got bigger and "John" was no longer enough to identify a man; so he became "John the Smith" or "John, son of Donald" or "John of the Green" (meadow - a cowherd). Those in turn became John Smith, John Donadlson and John Green.
SubjectAuthorDate Posted
36912 7 May 2005 2:02PM GMT 
Ted Pack 13 Jul 2005 3:08PM GMT 
darrell dietrich conwell 13 Jul 2005 5:43PM GMT 
siegle1 4 Mar 2006 3:27AM GMT 
Ted Pack 4 Mar 2006 3:51AM GMT 
Frank Siegle 4 Mar 2006 2:06PM GMT 
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