Surname Cornay - Meaning and Origin
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Cornay: What does the surname Cornay mean?
The last name Cornay is a French surname derived from the Latin name "Cornelius". The history of the surname is traced back to 1300s France, when the French branch of the Cornay family were living in the region of north-central France around the modern-day city of Chartres. The name itself has descended from an old Latin personal name, which was derived from the Latin word "cornu", meaning "horn." This name was usually given to a person who was strong and bold in battle, and its use was also common during the medieval period.
In more recent centuries, Cornay has become a prominent name throughout France and other French-speaking countries, and the surname is generally considered to be derived from the French word "cornet", meaning "horn". The family name has also extended to England, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Portugal and other countries.
The Cornay family have a long-standing tradition of French nobility, with records of the family being prominent in French government and military circles since the 1300s. In 1641, their title was eventually bestowed by King Louis XIII of France. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the family often served in positions as aides, advisers or diplomats for the French court, and some members of the Cornay line even served as Generals in the French military.
The Cornay family has often been associated with prominent positions in business and finance, and today, the name is still mostly synonymous with wealth, power and prestige.
Order DNA origin analysisCornay: Where does the name Cornay come from?
The last name Cornay is most commonly found in France and French-speaking parts of Belgium. It is a French staple that has been used for centuries, and has remained popular throughout the generations.
In France, the surname Cornay is especially popular in Brittany, Normandy, Centre, and Picardy. Elsewhere in Europe, it is most common in the Ausrap region (Germany, Poland, Lithuania, and Belarus).
In the United States, the Cornay surname is most often found in the Upper Midwest states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan. Immigration is believed to be the primary source of Cornay surnames in these areas.
The popularity of the Cornay surname has spread across much of the world with immigration, especially in countries like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
The Cornay surname values family and is passionate about protecting their legacy. The Cornay surname remains vibrant in many countries, and the family bonds are still strong and alive today.
Variations of the surname Cornay
The surname Cornay is thought to have originated in southwestern France. It is also spelled de Cornay, Cornay, Cornet, de Cornet,Corney, Cornaey and Cornaeye.
The surname Cornay is derived from the Latin word cormos which means small tree or shrub. It is likely that the first bearer of the name lived near fields or hedgerows abundant with it. As surnames were adopted to describe a particular person's physical characteristics, personality, occupation or a patronymic, it is also possible that the original bearer of the Cornay surname had a physical or personality trait associated with cormos.
The variant spellings Corney and Corneye are sometimes associated with the Cornay surname as well. It is likely that the Corney spelling is a phonetic spelling of the original surname – a product of the high illiteracy rate present in Europe at the time the surname was adopted. It may also have been phonetically spelled Corneye, with the addition of the silent “e” at the end, most likely due to French or Breton dialects.
The surname is also sometimes spelled as de Cornay or de Cornet, where "de"is a particle of nobility. These two spellings differ from one another based on the region of origin. In some areas, de Cornay was used while in other regions, de Cornet was the preferred spelling. The latter spelling likely originated in the Loire Valley regions in France.
Overall, the surname Cornay has multiple spellings and variants, including de Cornay, de Cornet, Cornay, Cornet, Corney, Cornaey and Cornaeye. Each of these spellings trace back to the same origin –the Latin word cormos, which refers to a small tree or shrub – and reflects the region of origin of the first bearer of the surname.
Famous people with the name Cornay
- Maria Cornay: French actress
- Olivier Cornay: Swiss philosopher
- Roger Cornay: French illustrator and cartoonist
- Barbara Cornay: American novelist
- Thomas Cornay: French painter
- Pierre Cornay: French chemist
- Claude Cornay: French architect
- Harry Cornay: British novelist
- Christian Cornay: French actor
- William Cornay: American actor