Cockburn Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Cockburn last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Cockburn last name
Meaning of the Cockburn last name: stream of the wild birds. Cockburn is a Scottish surname from Cockburn in Berwickshire, from Old English cocc, "cock, wild bird", and burna, "stream". The family held lands in the Borders from the thirteenth century. The last name is pronounced Coe-burn and is common in Scotland and northern England.
Arms associated with the Cockburn name
Coats of arms associated with the Cockburn surname follow Scottish heraldry, where each blazon belongs to one bearer.
Get your full Cockburn family history
This is only a glimpse of the Cockburn story. The full Cockburn history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Cockburn coat of arms. Get the full Cockburn report.
Cockburn name FAQ
What does the Cockburn name mean?
Stream of the wild birds. Common variants include Coburn, Cockburne.
Where does the Cockburn surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in Canada, Australia and the United States.
Is there a Cockburn coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Cockburn coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).