Surname Cooberley - Meaning and Origin
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Cooberley: What does the surname Cooberley mean?
The last name Cooberley is an anglicized variant of the Irish surname Mac Gobbérlaigh. As an Irish name the origin dates back to an old Gaelic term that likely meant ‘son of the hero’. This name belonged to a tribe in the Breifne region of County Cavan.
The family of Cooberley originally hailed from modern-day County Cavan, Ireland. A Gaelic speaking region in the region, with strong connections to the Church of Ireland, the Cooberleys were originally staunch Anglicans.
In the mid-19th century, the Cooberleys relocated to England, likely due to the disruptions in Ireland caused by the Great Famine. They settled in the counties of Hampshire, Wiltshire, Devon and Dorset and worked the region’s agricultural land.
The Cooberleys are quite a large family, having spread out across much of Europe and beyond due to the disenfranchisement of the Irish during the industrial revolution.
The Cooberleys are a proud and inescapably Irish family, tracing their roots back to the Breifne region of County Cavan. The name Mac Gobbérlaigh is a reminder of this history and a link to the family’s past that continues to be celebrated today. With strength of will and resilience, the Cooberley family forged a path of success abroad and continue to contribute to society in numerous fields.
Order DNA origin analysisCooberley: Where does the name Cooberley come from?
The last name Cooberley is most common in the United States of America today. It is typically associated with Scotch-Irish, German, English, and Swiss-German settlers who came to the states from Europe beginning in the 1600s. Many of these immigrants chose to settle in the Appalachian Mountains region between Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Tennessee. Among the Scotch-Irish, many families moved to the Shenandoah Valley near the Ohio River, and the name Cooberley has continued in existence in that area to the present day. The Cooberley last name also became common in the Southern United States during the mid-1800s, where it was taken up by German immigrants who settled in the Deep South. Over the past 200+ years, there have been several families of the name Cooberley who have moved across the country, traveling into different states including Illinois, Iowa, Texas, and California. Today, the Cooberley name is not particularly uncommon, and it is largely concentrated around the original home of the Cooberley families in the Appalachians, Shenandoah Valley, and Southern United States.
Variations of the surname Cooberley
Cooberley is an English surname that dates back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is of patronymic origin, deriving from the personal given name of the ancestor who first borne the surname. Variations of the surname include Coberly, Coberlee, Coberley, Couberley, Cobberely, Copberley and Couberlee. It is also common for the spelling of the surname to be altered, and variants such as Cowberley, Cowberly and Cowbley have been found.
The surname Cooberley has geographical variations, too. For instance, Cawberley is a variation originating in the north-east of England. In Scotland, the variant Cobrasley is also in use, and in Wales, the surname Cobrahly exists.
The spelling of Cooberley has also evolved over the years. During the Middle Ages, the spelling of the surname would often be influenced by the scribe or clerk who wrote the name down. There is evidence to suggest that the surname was also written as Coupereley.
Cooberley is a relatively uncommon surname, but its variants are seen more frequently. For example, Coberley is among the 100 000 most commonly used surnames in the United Kingdom. Among the United States population, surname variations such as Copberly, Couberley and Coberly are much more widespread.
Famous people with the name Cooberley
- Alexander Cooberley: professional rugby union player from Scotland
- Andrew Cooberley: Founding Partner of Cooberley & Co., a trade mark advisory firm
- Anne Cooberley: Award winning historian and biographer
- Jacob Cooberley: actor/musician from South Africa
- James Cooberley: British artist, best known for his seascapes
- Jessie Cooberley: English actress who appeared in the 1950s television series, The Adventures of Robin Hood
- John Cooberley: retired oil executive and philanthropist
- Mark Cooberley: American professional basketball player
- Roger Cooberley: former English professional cricketer
- Rory Cooberley: English actor and writer
- Scott Cooberley: British best known for leading the team that created the world’s first internet download service
- Stephen Cooberley: U.S. Army General Officer, commandant of West Point
- Wade Cooberley: American former professional football player