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![Show Contents]() Corbitt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of CorbittWhat does the name Corbitt mean? From the historical and enchanting region of Normandy emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Corbitt family. Nickname surnames were derived from an eke-name, or added name. They usually reflected the physical characteristics or attributes of the first person that used the name. The name Corbitt is a nickname type of surname for a person with dark hair. Tracing the origin of the name further, we found the name Corbitt was originally derived from the Old French word "corbeau," which means "raven." 1 Early Origins of the Corbitt familyThe surname Corbitt was first found in Shropshire, where they claim descendancy from Roger, son of Corbet as listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. Roger le Corbet (or Fitz Corbet) was granted several manors by William the Conqueror as the Barony of Caus for his role in the Conquest. 2 They were so named after their Normandy estate in the Pays de Caux, France. "Corbeau, a noble Norman, came over with the Conqueror, and, with his sons, Robert and Roger, was employed by Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Shrewsbury and Arundel. Of the earl and his servants, Ordericus Vitalis says, "That the earl was a prudent and moderate man, a great lover of equity and of discreet and modest persons, and being freely assisted by the wisdom and courage of the said Corbeau, and his two sons, Roger and Robert, was as glorious amongst the greatest nobles as any of them all, by keeping the Welsh in awe, and that whole province in peace." 3 By the 12th century, the family had split into two branches: the elder branch was at Wattlesborough, the younger at Caus Castle. 2 Today, Wattlesborough Tower is a ruined fortified 13th century manor house and Caus Castle is a hill fort and medieval castle. Another branch of the family was found at Tortington in Sussex at early times. "A priory of Augustine canons, in honour of St. Mary Magdalene, was founded here by the Lady Avicia Corbet, before the reign of John. [(1166-1216)]" 4 "Shropshire has been for centuries the principal home of the Corbetts. Corbet was a common name there in the 13th century, and, in fact, in the Hundred Rolls of that date this county includes almost all of the name. The ancient and powerful Shropshire family of Corbett dated back to the time of Edward I. Since the reign of Henry V., the Corbetts or Corbets have at various times filled the office of bailiff or mayor of Shrewsbury, one of the mayors of last century being Sir Richard Corbett, baronet." 5 "This is one of the few families still existing who trace, in the male line, an undoubted descent from an ancient race of the same name in Normandy, of whom was Hugh Corbet (or Corbeau), living 1040." 3 Astall in Oxfordshire was once home to a branch of the family. "The church [of Astall] contains some interesting monuments, among which is a recumbent effigy on a stone coffin, under an enriched arched canopy, said to be the tomb of Alice Corbett, mistress of Henry I., and mother of Reginald, Earl of Cornwall." 4 Early History of the Corbitt familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Corbitt research. Another 212 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1124, 1241, 1296, 1580, 1582, 1594, 1595, 1600, 1617, 1624, 1625, 1635, 1637, 1640, 1646, 1648, 1657, 1658, 1662, 1675, 1677, 1683, 1705, 1711, 1748 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Corbitt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Corbitt Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Corbett, Corbet, Corbetts, Corbit, Corbitt, Corbitts and many more. Early Notables of the Corbitt familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Robert Corbett of Selkirk Abbey; Sir Andrew Corbet (1580-1637), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Shropshire (1624-1625), matriculated at Queen's College, Oxford (1600); Richard Corbet (1582-1635) poet and prelate; Sir John Corbet, 1st Baronet of Stoke upon Tern (1594-1662), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1646 and 1648; Miles Corbet (1595-1662), an English politician, recorder of Yarmouth, convicted for Regicide of King...
Another 77 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Corbitt Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Corbitt RankingIn the United States, the name Corbitt is the 4,340th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 6 Migration of the Corbitt family to IrelandSome of the Corbitt family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Corbitt migration to the United States | + |
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Corbitt or a variant listed above were:
Corbitt Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Ann Corbitt, who arrived in Virginia in 1664 7
- Andrew Corbitt, who landed in Perth Amboy, NJ in 1685 7
Corbitt Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Isabella Corbitt, aged 23, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1803 7
- Peter Corbitt, aged 25, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1803 7
- John Corbitt, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1846 7
- Robert Corbitt, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1847 7
- James Corbitt, aged 50, who landed in New York, NY in 1850 7
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Corbitt migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Corbitt Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- John Corbitt, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on October 22nd, 1824, settling in New South Wales, Australia 8
| Contemporary Notables of the name Corbitt (post 1700) | + |
- Donald Oliver Corbitt (1924-1993), American football offensive lineman
- Claude Elliott Corbitt (1915-1978), American infielder in Major League Baseball
- Helen Corbitt (1906-1978), American chef and cookbook author
- Ted Corbitt (1919-2007), American long-distance runner
- Gregory "Greg" Corbitt (b. 1971), Australian former field hockey striker
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Deus pascit corvos
Motto Translation: God feeds the ravens.
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
- Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1824 with 9 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1824
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