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Cornish Family History

Cornish Surname Meaning

English (of Norman origin): habitational name for someone from the county of Cornwall from Middle English Cornish Cornysh formed on the analogy of English which was usually Normanized as Corneys.

Not surprisingly the surname is common in adjacent Devon but it is also established as far afield as Suffolk and London.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Cornish family from?

You can see how Cornish families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cornish family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cornish families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 171 Cornish families living in Ontario. This was about 63% of all the recorded Cornish's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Cornish families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cornish surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Cornish ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Clerk were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Cornish. 45% of Cornish men worked as a Farmer and 23% of Cornish women worked as a Clerk. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cornish were Clerk and Domestic.

View Census Data for Cornish | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    45%
  • Labourer
    12%
  • Machinist
    5%
  • Clerk
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Clerk
    23%
  • At Home
    14%
  • Teacher
    14%
  • Domestic
    14%

What Cornish family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 154,000 census records available for the last name Cornish. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cornish census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Cornish

Passenger Lists

There are 12,000 immigration records available for the last name Cornish. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Cornish immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 16,000 military records available for the last name Cornish. For the veterans among your Cornish ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cornish military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cornish family history

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What is the average Cornish lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Cornish life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Cornish in 1950 was 52, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cornish

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Cornish ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Cornish family tree

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