Corbett (surname)

Corbett is an English-language surname. It is derived from the Anglo-Norman French, Middle English, and Old French corbet, which is a diminutive of corb, meaning "raven". The surname probably originated from a nickname referring to someone with dark hair or a dark complexion like a raven's.[1][2] The surname was brought to England from Normandy,[2] and spread to Scotland in the 12th century,[2][3] and into northern Ireland in the 17th century.[2] Early instances of the name are Corbet in Shropshire, recorded in Domesday Book in 1086; Corbet in Shropshire, recorded in the Assize Rolls of Worcestershire in 1158; and le Corbet in Oxfordshire, recorded in the Eynsham Cartulary in 1323. Variations of the surname include: Corbet, and Corbitt.[1] Corbett is sometimes an Anglicised form of the Irish surnames Ó Corbáin and Ó Coirbín, which mean "descendant of Corbán" and "descendant of Coirbín", respectively.[4]

Names borne by several Corbetts

In politics

In sport

In literature

In business
  • Gerald Corbett (born 1951), head of Railtrack
  • Henry L. Corbett (1881–1957), American businessman and politician, in Oregon
  • Kevin Corbett (born 1955), American businessman, shipping and transportation, ED of NJTranist
  • Roger Corbett (born 1942), Australian businessman, CEO of Woolworths Ltd 2001–2007

In television, film and fiction

In the military

In geography

In other fields

See also

References
  1. Reaney, Percy Hilde (1995), Wilson, Richard Middlewood (ed.), A dictionary of English surnames (3rd ed.), Oxford University Press, p. 109, ISBN 0-19-863146-4.
  2. Corbett Family History, Ancestry.com, retrieved 19 August 2012. This webpage cites Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4.
  3. Black, George Fraser (1946), The surnames of Scotland: their origin, meaning, and history, New York Public Library, p. 170.
  4. Corban Family History, Ancestry.com, retrieved 19 August 2012. This webpage cites Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4.


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