Carnage History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Wales

Etymology of Carnage

The surname Carnage is a Welsh name that was first held when the Carnage family lived in the English county of Cornwall. As a general rule, the greater the distance between individuals and their homelands, the larger the territory they were named after. For example, people who only moved to another parish would be known by the name of their original village, while people who migrated to a different country were often known by the name of a region or country from which they came. Consequently, the name Carnage was not originally applied to a lifelong resident of Cornwall, but rather to someone who emigrated from Cornwall to another region. 1

Early Origins of the Carnage family

Early History of the Carnage family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Carnage research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1375, 1450, 1465, 1493, 1502, 1523, 1677, 1685 and 1689 are included under the topic Early Carnage History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Carnage Spelling Variations

Compared to other ancient cultures found in the British Isles, the number of Welsh surnames are relatively few, but there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations. These spelling variations began almost as soon as surname usage became common. The most obvious reason was the challenge of translating from Welsh into English. As a result, people could not specify how to spell their own names leaving the specific recording up to the individual scribe or priest. Those recorders would then spell the names as they heard them, causing many different variations. Later, many Welsh names were recorded in English. This transliteration process was extremely imprecise since the Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh used many sounds the English language was not accustomed to. Finally, some variations occurred by the individual's design: a branch loyalty within a family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were indicated by spelling variations of one's name. The Carnage name over the years has been spelled Cornish, Cornishe, Corniss, Cornise, Carnish, Cornich, Corniche, Cornick and many more.

Early Notables of the Carnage family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was William Cornysh the Younger (also spelled Cornyshe or Cornish) (1465-1523), an English composer, dramatist, actor, and poet. His only surviving poem, was written in Fleet Prison. " In the Privy Purse Expenses of Henry VII under date Nov. 12, 1493, a payment is entered 'to one Cornyshe for a prophecy in rewarde, 13s. 4d.,' and in the Privy Purse Expenses of Henry's Queen, Elizabeth of York, under date Dec. 1502, a similar amount for 'setting of a carralle upon Christmas day.' " 5His son, William Cornyshe...
Another 95 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Carnage Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Carnage family

Many people from Wales joined the general migration to North America in the 19th and 20th centuries, searching for land, work, and freedom. Like the many other immigrants from the British Isles, they made a significant contribution to the development of Canada and the United States. The Welsh and their descendents added a rich cultural tradition to the newly developed towns, cities, and villages. An investigation of the immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Carnage: Samuel Cornish was one of the first settlers in North America, settling in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1637; and James Cornish was the first Schoolmaster and Town Clerk in Westfield, Massachusetts..