Cornish Last Name Generator
By Tre, Pol and Pen: surnames of Cornwall
Cornish last names, one surname per entry: farm and hamlet names such as Trevithick, Polglase and Penhaligon, Cornish-language trade names like Angove and Tyack, and pet-form surnames like Pascoe, Jago and Kitto.
About Cornish last names
Most Cornish surnames began as addresses. When surnames became hereditary in Cornwall, many families took the name of the farm or hamlet they held, and those places had names in Cornish, the Celtic language related to Welsh and Breton. That is the sense of the old rhyme 'By Tre, Pol and Pen, ye shall know the Cornishmen': tre is a homestead, pol a pool and pen a head or end. Trevithick, Tremayne, Polglase, Polkinghorne, Penrose and Pengelly are all of this kind, and so are names built on other place words, such as Roskilly, Bolitho, Nancarrow, Carlyon, Lanyon and Chenoweth.
A second group comes straight from Cornish words. Angove is 'the smith', Tyack is a farmer and Curnow means a Cornishman. A third comes from given names and their pet forms: Pascoe, Jago, Jose, Clemo, Kitto, Tonkin and Jory, with Petherick and Kevern from saints' names.
All 500 entries are single surnames with no given names. A variant spelling appears only where both forms are recorded as family names, such as Chenoweth and Chynoweth or Trelawny and Trelawney. English surnames that are simply common in Cornwall, such as Williams, Richards, Thomas, Harris and Rowe, are left out. Mining carried these names to Australia, Michigan and Mexico, so no surname here proves Cornish ancestry.
How to choose Cornish last names
- Stress the second part of a place-name surname, as people in Cornwall do: Tre-VITH-ick, Pen-ROSE, Pol-GLASE, Tre-MAYNE. It is the quickest way to make a character sound local when the name is read aloud.
- Do not give every character a Tre- name. A believable village mixes them with quieter surnames such as Hocking, Rodda, Opie, Uren and Pascoe.
- For a mining family abroad, in South Australia, Upper Michigan or the silver towns of Mexico, names like Trembath, Nankivell and Goldsworthy fit well, since Cornish miners took their surnames wherever hard rock was dug.
- Keep one spelling per family. Chenoweth and Chynoweth, or Rosevear and Roseveare, are separate recorded forms, and cousins in a story should not switch between them.
- For a full name, pair a surname from this list with a given name from the Cornish name generator, which offers first names such as Jowan, Piran and Kerensa.
Frequently asked questions
What are some typical Cornish last names?
Trevithick, Tremayne, Penrose, Pengelly, Polkinghorne, Pascoe, Curnow, Hocking, Nancarrow and Bolitho are among the surnames most closely tied to Cornwall. All of them are in this list of 500, together with rarer ones such as Baragwanath, Huthnance and Andrewartha.
What does "By Tre, Pol and Pen" mean?
It is an old rhyme about Cornish surnames: "By Tre, Pol and Pen, ye shall know the Cornishmen." Tre means a homestead or farm, pol a pool and pen a head or end, and all three are common in Cornish place names. Families named after those places carry surnames such as Treloar, Polglase and Penberthy.
Do all Cornish surnames start with Tre, Pol or Pen?
No. Many come from other place words, as in Roskilly, Nancarrow, Carlyon, Lanyon and Boscawen. Others are Cornish words for a trade or a person, such as Angove and Tyack, or grew out of given names, such as Pascoe, Jago, Clemo and Kitto.
Does a Cornish surname mean my family came from Cornwall?
It is a clue and no more. These surnames started in Cornwall, but emigration spread them across Australia, North America, Mexico and beyond, and names change hands through marriage, adoption and choice. Only family records can show where your own line came from.
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All 500 Cornish last names
A: 9 names
- Andrewartha
- Angear
- Angilley
- Angove
- Angwin
- Annear
- Anstis
- Argall
- Arundell
B: 39 names
- Baragwanath
- Barnicoat
- Bawden
- Beckerleg
- Behenna
- Bennallack
- Bennetto
- Bennetts
- Benney
- Berryman
- Beswarick
- Beswetherick
- Bice
- Biddick
- Bilkey
- Blamey
- Blewett
- Boaden
- Boase
- Bodilly
- Bodinnar
- Bolitho
- Bonython
- Borlase
- Bosanketh
- Bosanko
- Boscawen
- Bosence
- Bosisto
- Bosustow
- Boswarva
- Bottrell
- Boundy
- Brabyn
- Brokenshaw
- Brokenshire
- Bunt
- Buscombe
- Buzza
C: 52 names
- Carah
- Carbis
- Cardell
- Cardew
- Carkeek
- Carlyon
- Carne
- Carrivick
- Carthew
- Carveth
- Carvolth
- Carvosso
- Casley
- Cattran
- Chegwidden
- Chegwin
- Chegwyn
- Chellew
- Chenhall
- Chenhalls
- Chenoweth
- Ching
- Chirgwin
- Chynoweth
- Clemo
- Clemow
- Climo
- Cloke
- Clymo
- Coad
- Cobbledick
- Cocking
- Colenso
- Colliver
- Combellack
- Congdon
- Corin
- Cossentine
- Couch
- Courtis
- Crago
- Cragoe
- Craze
- Crebo
- Croggon
- Crowgey
- Crowle
- Cundy
- Curgenven
- Curno
- Curnow
- Currah
D: 12 names
- Dabb
- Daddow
- Deeble
- Delbridge
- Dingle
- Dinham
- Doble
- Doney
- Dower
- Dungey
- Dunstan
- Dunstone
E: 11 names
- Eathorne
- Eddy
- Edyvean
- Ellery
- Endean
- Ennor
- Enys
- Eplett
- Eslick
- Eustice
- Eva
F: 5 names
- Faull
- Fiddick
- Fradd
- Freethy
- Friggens
G: 24 names
- Gartrell
- Geach
- Geake
- Gendall
- Gerrans
- Giddy
- Glanville
- Glasson
- Gluyas
- Godolphin
- Goldsworthy
- Goninan
- Goyne
- Grenfell
- Gribble
- Grigg
- Grills
- Grose
- Grylls
- Gummoe
- Gummow
- Gundry
- Gwennap
- Gynn
H: 18 names
- Hambly
- Hawke
- Hawken
- Hawkey
- Hearle
- Hender
- Hendra
- Hendy
- Henwood
- Hichens
- Higman
- Hobba
- Hocking
- Hollow
- Hosken
- Hosking
- Hunkin
- Huthnance
I: 2 names
- Isbell
- Ivey
J: 11 names
- Jacka
- Jago
- Jelbart
- Jelbert
- Jenkin
- Jenkyn
- Joll
- Jory
- Jose
- Juleff
- Julyan
K: 16 names
- Keast
- Keigwin
- Kellow
- Kelynack
- Kempthorne
- Kerkin
- Kernick
- Kessell
- Kestle
- Kevern
- Keverne
- Killigrew
- Kitto
- Kittow
- Kneebone
- Knuckey
L: 20 names
- Laity
- Lampshire
- Lander
- Landeryou
- Lanyon
- Lawry
- Lean
- Legassick
- Leggo
- Letcher
- Lethbridge
- Lethlean
- Lewarne
- Liddicoat
- Lidgey
- Lobb
- Lory
- Lukey
- Lutey
- Luxon
M: 21 names
- Mably
- Maddern
- Magor
- Mankee
- Marrack
- Martyn
- Medlyn
- Menadue
- Menear
- Menhenitt
- Menhennet
- Menhennick
- Menhinick
- Mennear
- Mewton
- Mildren
- Minards
- Minear
- Morcom
- Moyle
- Murrish
N: 13 names
- Nancarrow
- Nance
- Nancekivell
- Nancholas
- Nancollas
- Nankervis
- Nankivell
- Nanscawen
- Ninnis
- Noall
- Northey
- Nottle
- Noy
O: 8 names
- Oates
- Oats
- Odger
- Odgers
- Olver
- Opie
- Oppy
- Ough
P: 55 names
- Parkyn
- Parnall
- Pasco
- Pascoe
- Paull
- Pawley
- Paynter
- Pearn
- Pellew
- Pellow
- Pellowe
- Penaluna
- Penberthy
- Pendarves
- Pender
- Pendray
- Penfound
- Pengelley
- Pengelly
- Pengilly
- Penglase
- Penhale
- Penhaligon
- Penhall
- Penhallow
- Penhallurick
- Penhaul
- Penna
- Penprase
- Penpraze
- Penrose
- Pentreath
- Penwarden
- Perrow
- Petherick
- Pethick
- Pezzack
- Philp
- Poad
- Polglase
- Polglaze
- Polgreen
- Polkinghorn
- Polkinghorne
- Polmear
- Polmounter
- Polsue
- Polwhele
- Praed
- Prideaux
- Prisk
- Prout
- Prynn
- Prynne
- Puckey
Q: 1 name
- Quintrell
R: 26 names
- Rapson
- Rescorla
- Reseigh
- Restarick
- Restorick
- Retallack
- Retallick
- Rickard
- Rodda
- Roscorla
- Rosemergy
- Rosemurgy
- Rosevear
- Roseveare
- Rosewall
- Rosewarne
- Roskelley
- Roskilly
- Roskruge
- Rounsevell
- Rowett
- Rowse
- Ruberry
- Rule
- Rundle
- Runnalls
S: 19 names
- Sandercock
- Sandoe
- Sandry
- Santo
- Sara
- Saundry
- Scantlebury
- Scoble
- Scown
- Semmens
- Sincock
- Skewes
- Sleeman
- Sloggett
- Sobey
- Spargo
- Stribley
- Sturtridge
- Symons
T: 109 names
- Tallack
- Tamblyn
- Tamlyn
- Tangye
- Teague
- Tellam
- Tiddy
- Tippett
- Tonkin
- Trahair
- Trathen
- Trebilco
- Trebilcock
- Tredinnick
- Tredrea
- Treen
- Treffry
- Trefusis
- Tregarthen
- Tregaskis
- Tregay
- Tregear
- Tregellas
- Tregelles
- Tregembo
- Tregenza
- Tregidga
- Tregilgas
- Treglown
- Trego
- Tregoning
- Tregonning
- Tregunna
- Tregurtha
- Trehane
- Trelawney
- Trelawny
- Trelease
- Treleaven
- Treliving
- Treloar
- Tremain
- Tremaine
- Tremayne
- Trembath
- Tremearne
- Tremeer
- Tremellen
- Tremelling
- Tremenheere
- Tremethick
- Tremewan
- Trenberth
- Trenear
T, continued
- Treneer
- Trenerry
- Trengove
- Trengrouse
- Trenhaile
- Trenouth
- Trenowden
- Trenoweth
- Trenwith
- Trerice
- Trerise
- Trescothick
- Treseder
- Tresidder
- Tresillian
- Tresise
- Tresize
- Trestrail
- Trethewey
- Trethewy
- Trethowan
- Trevail
- Trevanion
- Trevarthen
- Trevaskis
- Trevaskus
- Trevelyan
- Trevena
- Trevenen
- Trevenna
- Trevethan
- Trevillion
- Trevithick
- Trevorrow
- Trewartha
- Trewavas
- Treweek
- Trewen
- Trewern
- Trewhela
- Trewhella
- Trewin
- Trewolla
- Trezise
- Trezona
- Tripcony
- Trounce
- Trounson
- Trudgeon
- Trudgian
- Truran
- Truscott
- Trythall
- Tyack
- Tyacke
U: 4 names
- Udy
- Uglow
- Uren
- Ustick
V: 15 names
- Varcoe
- Veale
- Vellanoweth
- Vellenoweth
- Venning
- Vercoe
- Verran
- Vian
- Vigus
- Vingoe
- Vinnicombe
- Visick
- Vivian
- Vosper
- Vyvyan
W: 9 names
- Warne
- Wasley
- Wearne
- Werry
- Whear
- Whetter
- Wickett
- Woolcock
- Woon