Contents [hide]

Cookson History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Cookson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Cookson

What does the name Cookson mean?

The origins of the Cookson surname date from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name originated with an early member who was a son of a cook. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Norman French word cok, which means cook.

Early Origins of the Cookson family

The surname Cookson was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire where they were originally from Settle. 1

Early History of the Cookson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cookson research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1220, 1273, 1379, 1609, 1636, 1654, 1677, 1679, 1682, 1704, 1735 and 1743 are included under the topic Early Cookson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cookson Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Cookson has been recorded under many different variations, including Cookson, Cuckson, Cockson, Coxon and others.

Early Notables of the Cookson family

Distinguished members of the family include

Thomas Cookson or Coxon (fl. 1609-1636), one of the earliest English engravers, who left a large number of portraits engraved in a dry, but neatly finished manner. 2
Isaac Cookson (1679-1743) brought up in Penrith; he moved to Newcastle upon Tyne in 1704 to further his career with his brother. His founded the Cookson Group, now one of the largest materials technol...

Cookson Ranking

In the United States, the name Cookson is the 9,352^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Cookson migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Cookson or a variant listed above:

Cookson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Cookson who settled in Virginia in 1774

Cookson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Craven Cookson, who settled in America in 1830
Craven Cookson, aged 50, who arrived in Kennebunk, Me in 1830 4
John Cookson, aged 40, who landed in Missouri in 1847 4
William Cookson, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 4
C. E. Cookson, aged 24, who settled in America from Glasgow, in 1896

Cookson Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Clive Cookson, aged 25, who landed in America from Oakwood, in 1904
Clive Cookson, aged 27, who landed in America from Newcastle, in 1906
Ada Maud M Cookson, aged 37, who landed in America from London, Eng, in 1906
Alfred Cookson, aged 22, who settled in America from Stockport, England, in 1910
Albert Cookson, aged 28, who landed in America from Shrewsburg, England, in 1911
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cookson migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cookson Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. William Cookson U.E. who settled in St. Andrews, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783; member of the Penobscot Association 5

Cookson migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Cookson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Cookson, English convict who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Baring" in December 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Mr. John Cookson, (b. 1786), aged 32, English stone mason who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Baring" in December 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Mr. William Cookson, (b. 1792), aged 26, English stone mason who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Baring" in December 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1836 6
Mr. William Cookson, English convict who was convicted in Devon, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 27th August 1836, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
John Cookson, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Susannah" in 1849 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cookson migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Cookson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Cookson, British settler travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "British Queen" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 30th August 1859 9
Mrs. Cookson, British settler travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "British Queen" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 30th August 1859 9
Mr. Joseph Cookson, (b. 1803), aged 56, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Roman Emperor" arriving in Lyttlelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th January 1860 10
Mrs. Sarah Cookson, (b. 1803), aged 56, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Roman Emperor" arriving in Lyttlelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th January 1860 10
Mr. Henry Cookson, (b. 1835), aged 24, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Roman Emperor" arriving in Lyttlelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th January 1860 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Cookson (post 1700) +

Peter Cookson (1913-1990), American film actor, best known for his collaborations with his wife, Beatrice Straight
Walter Stanley Cookson (1879-1948), English professional footballer who played from 1901 to 1908
Sam Cookson (1896-1955), English footballer who played for Manchester City(1919-1928)
Phil Cookson, English former professional rugby league footballer, member of the England National Team in 1975
Lieutenant-Commander Edgar Christopher Cookson VC DSO (b. 1883), English recipient of the Victoria Cross for his actions on the 28th September, 1915
Michael Brian Cookson OBE (b. 1951), English cyclist, President of the Union Cycliste Internationale (2013), President of British Cycling (1997-2013)
Sophie Louise Cookson (b. 1990), English actress best known for portraying secret agent Roxanne "Roxy" Morton / Lancelot Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) and its sequel The Golden Circle (2017)
Roland A Cookson CBE, English Business Executive
Dame Catherine Ann Cookson DBE (b. 1906), née McMullen, an English novelist, the United Kingdom's most widely read novelist with sales topping 100 million
Professor Richard C Cookson, English Chemist and educator
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Cookson family +

Halifax Explosion

Master Basil Cookson (1910-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 11

HMS Repulse

Mr. Richard Cookson, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 12

The Cookson Motto +

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: Nil desperandum
Motto Translation: Never despairing.

Citations +

Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. 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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SUSANNAH 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Susannah.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html