Cowley (surname)
Encyclopedia
Cowley is a surname
in the English language
.
, derived from any of the several places in England
named Cowley. One such place, in Gloucestershire
, is derived from two Old English elements: the first, cu, meaning "cow"; the second element, leah, meaning "woodland clearing". Two other places are located in Derbyshire
which are derived from the Old English col, meaning "coal" (in reference to charcoal
). Another place is located near London
, which can has two possible derivations: the first is from the Old English cofa, meaning "shelter" or "bay"; the second possibility is that this place name is derived from the Old English personal name
Cofa. Other places are located in Buckinghamshire
, Devon
, Oxfordshire
, and Staffordshire
: these place names are thought to be derived from elements meaning "the wood or clearing of Cufa", although they may also contain topographical elements as well. In some cases the surname Cowley is derived from the Irish-language surname Mac Amhlaoibh
, meaning "son of Amhlaoibh".
, Cowley, Knaresborough, Langton
, Lawless
, Ley, Ragget, Rothe, and Shee. Of the ten, only the Shees were considered to be of Irish ancestry; the nine others, including the Cowleys, were of English
origin.
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
in the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
Etymology
The surname Cowley has numerous origins. In some cases it originated as a habitational nameHabitational name
A habitational name is a type of name. These names denote the starting inhabited location. Such locations can be any type of settlement, such as: homesteads, farms, enclosures, villages, hamlets, strongholds or cottages. The second element of a habitational name describes the type of settlement...
, derived from any of the several places in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
named Cowley. One such place, in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, is derived from two Old English elements: the first, cu, meaning "cow"; the second element, leah, meaning "woodland clearing". Two other places are located in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
which are derived from the Old English col, meaning "coal" (in reference to charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
). Another place is located near London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, which can has two possible derivations: the first is from the Old English cofa, meaning "shelter" or "bay"; the second possibility is that this place name is derived from the Old English personal name
Personal name
A personal name is the proper name identifying an individual person, and today usually comprises a given name bestowed at birth or at a young age plus a surname. It is nearly universal for a human to have a name; except in rare cases, for example feral children growing up in isolation, or infants...
Cofa. Other places are located in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, and Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
: these place names are thought to be derived from elements meaning "the wood or clearing of Cufa", although they may also contain topographical elements as well. In some cases the surname Cowley is derived from the Irish-language surname Mac Amhlaoibh
Mac Amhlaoibh
Mac Amhlaoibh is masculine surname in the Irish language. The name translates into English as "son of Amhlaoibh". The surname originated as a patronym, however it no longer refers to the actual name of the bearer's father. The form of the surname for unmarried females is Nic Amhlaoibh...
, meaning "son of Amhlaoibh".
Families
The surname has been borne by a noted Irish family, who were one of the so-called 'Ten Tribes of Kilkenny'. The ten families bore the surnames Archdekin, ArcherArcher (surname)
Archer is a surname in the English language.-Etymology:The name is derived from the Middle English archere, and Old French archer, archier. The surname originated as an occupational name denoting an archer. By the 14th century, the mentioned Middle English and Old French words replaced the native...
, Cowley, Knaresborough, Langton
Langton (surname)
Langton is a surname. Notable persons with that surname include:* Anne Langton* Arthur Langton* Baden Langton* Bobby Langton* Brooke Langton* Christopher Langton* Daniel Langton* David Langton* Huw Lloyd Langton* Jane Langton* Jim Langton...
, Lawless
Lawless
Lawless may refer to:*Alex Lawless , footballer*Blackie Lawless , musician*Emily Lawless , author*Jack Lawless , musician*Lucy Lawless , actress*Tom Lawless , baseballer...
, Ley, Ragget, Rothe, and Shee. Of the ten, only the Shees were considered to be of Irish ancestry; the nine others, including the Cowleys, were of English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
origin.
People with the surname
- Abraham CowleyAbraham CowleyAbraham Cowley was an English poet born in the City of London late in 1618. He was one of the leading English poets of the 17th century, with 14 printings of his Works published between 1668 and 1721.-Early life and career:...
, English poet - Bill CowleyBill CowleyWilliam Mailes "Cowboy" Cowley was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the St. Louis Eagles and Boston Bruins.-Playing career:...
- Charles Henry CowleyCharles Henry CowleyLieutenant-Commander Charles Henry Cowley VC was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
- Gillian CowleyGillian CowleyGillian Cowley is a former hockey player from Zimbabwe, who was a member of the national team that won the golden medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow....
- Hannah CowleyHannah CowleyHannah Cowley was an English dramatist and poet. Although Cowley’s plays and poetry did not enjoy wide popularity after the nineteenth century, critic Melinda Finberg rates Cowley as “one of the foremost playwrights of the late eighteenth century” whose “skill in writing fluid, sparkling dialogue...
- Jerry CowleyJerry CowleyJerry Cowley is an Irish barrister, medical doctor and politician.Originally from Ballina, he is now resident in Mulranny, County Mayo. He was an Independent Teachta Dála for the Mayo constituency after being elected to Dáil Éireann at the 2002 general election...
- Joe CowleyJoe CowleyJoe Cowley is a columnist writer for the Chicago Sun-Times. Cowley, a graduate of Kent State University, served the same role for the Sun-Times sister publication, the Tinley Park, Illinois Daily Southtown, for several years before being hired by the downtown paper before the 2006 season.Cowley was...
- John Lodge CowleyJohn Lodge CowleyJohn Lodge Cowley was an English cartographer, geologist and Mathematician.John Cowley was a professor of mathematics at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich – London for a number of years between 1761 and 1773. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in April, 1768...
- John M. CowleyJohn M. CowleyJohn M. Cowley , was an American Regents Professor at Arizona State University. The John M. Cowley Center for High-Resolution Electron Microscopy at Arizona State is named in his honor.-External links:*...
- Joy CowleyJoy CowleyCassia "Joy" Cowley, DCNZM, OBE is a New Zealand author of novels, short stories, and children's fiction.Her first novel, Nest in a Fallen Tree , was converted into the 1971 film The Night Digger by Roald Dahl...
- Leonard Philip CowleyLeonard Philip CowleyLeo Philip Cowley was the Roman Catholic titular bishop of Pertusa and the auxiliary bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota....
, American Roman Catholic bishop - Malcolm CowleyMalcolm CowleyMalcolm Cowley was an American novelist, poet, literary critic, and journalist.-Early life:...
- Matthew CowleyMatthew CowleyMatthew Cowley was an American missionary and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1945 until his death...
, leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Matthias F. CowleyMatthias F. CowleyMatthias Foss Cowley , born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1897 until 1905. The town of Cowley in Wyoming is named after him. He was the father of Apostle Matthew Cowley by Abbie Hyde. ...
, leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Patrick CowleyPatrick CowleyPatrick Joseph Cowley was an American disco and Hi-NRG dance music composer and recording artist. He recorded in a style that has drawn comparisons to that of Giorgio Moroder and is often credited with pioneering electronic dance music.-Early life:Patrick Cowley was born in Buffalo, New York to...
, musician - Philip CowleyPhilip CowleyPhilip Cowley is a British political scientist and an academic at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom.Within academia he is particularly notable for his analysis of Parliamentary voting behaviour in the UK House of Commons and House of Lords and secondly his opposition to a lowering...
- Robert CowleyRobert CowleyRobert Cowley is an American military historian, who writes on topics in American and European military history ranging from the Civil War through World War II...
- Roger CowleyRoger CowleyRoger Arthur Cowley, FRS, FRSE, FInstPhys is an English physicist who has specialised in the excitations of solids. He obtained a B.A. in physics from Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge in 1960 and a Ph.D. in 1963...
- Zoe Cowley, feminist activist, and supporter of intercourse before marriage.