Surname Cornils - Meaning and Origin
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Cornils: What does the surname Cornils mean?
The surname Cornils is derived from the Germanic personal name Cornelius, which is derived from the Roman gens name Cornelius. The original Latin form of the name means “horn”, likely a reference to a cornu or Latin horn. This could also refer to the horn of a bull, or even the legendary bull of Crete.
The earliest uses of the surname Cornils date back to the early 17th century, when it was first found in the Dutch province of Gelderland. The surname was mainly prevalent in the eastern part of the Netherlands, an area known as Overijssel.
The name Cornils was also relatively common in other parts of northern Germany, particularly along the Rhine River. In Germany, the surname was often spelt “Kornelis” or “Kornelissen”.
Today, the name is still present in northern Germany and in the Netherlands, where it is commonly spelled “Cornils” or “Cornelissen”. In other parts of the world, however, it is also found in other variations like “Cornelisse” and “Cornolius”.
So, the last name Cornils is derived from the Latin word “cornu”, a reference to a horn or the legendary bull of Crete. The name is still fairly common in northern Germany and in the Netherlands, and is found around the world in different forms.
Order DNA origin analysisCornils: Where does the name Cornils come from?
The last name Cornils is most commonly found in parts of Europe, particularly Germany, Netherlands, and Belgium. It is an old surname, thought to have originated in the Middle Ages, and is believed to have been derived either from the Latin noun cornu or from the German word korn. It is also a common surname among members of the Dutch Reformed Church, possibly a result of the popularity of the surname in the early days of the church when many of the members came from Germanic backgrounds.
The name is most common in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. According to census records from 2018, this was the most populous region that had a significant population of people with the surname. However, the name is also common in other parts of Germany, as well as in the Netherlands and Belgium, albeit to a lesser extent. The name is particularly ubiquitous in the Lutherans of Northwest Germany and the Netherlands.
In the United States, the surname is mostly found in the areas with large Dutch and German populations, as well as in the Midwest. The latest census data from 2020 showed that the states with the largest population of people with the surname are Minnesota,Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Nebraska, Washington, and Oregon. On a county level, the trend is similar with most Cornils families residing in rural communities like Polk county in Iowa, Otter Tail in Minnesota, and Stutsman in North Dakota.
Variations of the surname Cornils
The surname Cornils is a German and Dutch cognomen, derived from the Latin word for a horn. Variations of the surname Cornils include its Germanification, Cornelius, as well as its Dutchification, Kornelis. Other variants of the surname exist, such as Kornelissen, Cornelisse, Kornelisse, Kornhlsen, Kornelohs, Kornelesen, Kornelius, and Kornhlsen. The surname can also be found as Cornles, Cornelss, Kornluss and Kornlös in Germany.
It is possible that the surname has evolved differently in some areas. In the UK, the surname is frequently seen as Cornish, while in the United States and Canada the surname is often seen as Cornils or Cornallas. Other variants of the surname in the United States and Canada include Cornilsen, Cornelissen, Cornelie, Curnyles, Cornills, and Cornalle. It is also possible that variants of the surname were created by combination of other surnames, such as Kornlesen, which combines elements of the surnames Korn and Elesen.
The surname Cornils is mainly associated with certain regions in the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It is possible that the surname has evolved differently in these regions due to immigration patterns and population migration.
Variants of the surname Cornils are still used today, although the popularity of the surname has decreased since its peak in the early 1950s. Cornils is a relatively common German and Dutch surname, with estimates of 10,000-100,000 people with the surname in Germany, and 15,000-20,000 people with the surname in the Netherlands.
Famous people with the name Cornils
- Kai Cornils: German football goalkeeper who has played for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the German Bundesliga.
- Antje Cornils: German politician and Member of the Hamburg Parliament since 2020.
- Alwin Cornils: German politician and Member of the North Rhine-Westphalia Legislative Assembly since 2005.
- Ellinor Cornils: German actress and singer who has appeared in a number of films, television shows, theatre productions and musicals.
- Estelle Cornils: German actress well known for her role as Rhina Liesen in the German TV show Emilia.
- Jost Cornils: German zoologist who was a professor at the University of Kiel.
- Eli Benedict Cornils: American political leader from Illinois who served as a state representative from 1894 to 1904.
- Harald Cornils: German photographer best known for his work on architecture, fashion, design and documentary photography.
- Yves Cornils: Belgian cyclist who has competed on the professional cycling circuit since 2007.
- Dieter Cornils: German singer, songwriter and composer known as the frontman of the band Cassandra Complex.