Surname Corkery - Meaning and Origin
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Corkery: What does the surname Corkery mean?
The surname Corkery is of Irish origin and is related to the anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Ó Corcora. This translates to mean "descendant of Corcor" and is commonly found in Counties Cork and Kerry. This was first used as a personal or first name and eventually came to be used as a surname.
The Corcora family were one of the ancient tribes of the Munster region of Southwestern Ireland. They are believed to have descended from the O'Connor tribe and were associated with chieftancies in Limerick, Waterford and Tipperary. Historically, they held lands in County Clare and County Tipperary.
The spelling of 'Corkery' is a variant of the original spelling 'Corcora' and the name is associated with Cork, which is considered to have been founded by Corcora. This gives a strong connection with the area of County Cork, and the descendants of the Corcora family have lived there for generations.
The Corkery name is still widely used in Cork and Kerry today and is a reminder of the ancient origins, history and culture of the region.
Order DNA origin analysisCorkery: Where does the name Corkery come from?
The last name Corkery is mainly seen in the United Kingdom, however is also quite common in the United States and Canada. In the U.K., the surname is found primarily in England, with some incidence in the northern parts of Ireland. It is generally associated with Irish and English heritage, and is one of the most common names in the British Isles.
In the United States, Corkery is known primarily on the east coast. It is a fairly common surname in Massachusetts and New Jersey, as well as New York and Connecticut. There is also significant presence in the midwest, with it being fairly common in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Ohio.
In Canada, the surname Corkery is again less concentrated than in the U.K., but has a slight presence across the whole country. The most concentrated areas include southern Ontario, Nova Scotia, British Columbia, and Alberta.
In terms of global rankings, the last name Corkery is considered a 'popular' surname. On the World Names Profiler, it ranks 2448 globally out of all surnames. As a result, it is considered the 20,405st most common surname across the whole world.
Variations of the surname Corkery
The surname Corkery is a variation of the Irish surnames Ó Corcrai and Mac Corcrai, both thought to derive from the old Irish name Corcrai. The last name could be found in both Ireland and Scotland, but is most common in the Irish province of Munster.
Variants of the surname Corkery include Korkery, Corcory, Corcoire, Corcoirie, Corcori, Corcoirie, Corcoray, Corcry, Corkeray, Corkarey, Corcoree, Corcoirey, Corkree, and even Corkory.
Variations of the historical Irish name meaning "of Corcrai" or "descendant of Corc" include Ó Corcrai (O Corkery) and Mac Corcrai (Mc Corkery, Mag Corcrai, or Meg Corkery). It is likely derived from the old Irish personal name Corc (or Corcc), a loanword from Latin, and is derived from an old word meaning 'raven'.
There are so many variations of the surname Corkery that it can be difficult to draw clear-cut boundaries in tracing its origin. However, the connection with the old Irish name Corcrai is the most significant connection as it continues to be in use today.
Famous people with the name Corkery
- Peter Corkery, an American composer of musicals and an expert in the use of electronic music.
- Stephen Corkery, an Australian musician and bandleader.
- Criona Corkery, an Irish artist, lecturer and radio broadcaster.
- Maev Corkery, a multi- instrumentalist and fiddle teacher from Donegal, Ireland.
- Kevin Corkery, a former AFL footballer for the North Melbourne Football Club from 1986-1996.
- Chris Corkery, an Irish reality TV star and businessman.
- David Corkery, a former Irish rugby union player who represented Munster and Ireland.
- Ruth Corkery, a British theatre director, poet and musician.
- Angela Corkery, an American Olympic weightlifter and the first woman to represent the USA at the Olympics.
- Nuala Corkery, an Irish eco-activist and writer.