Cornwall Name Meaning, Origin and Heraldry

Looking for a Cornwall coat of arms? Arms were granted to families, not to surnames, and our research shows which heraldic tradition fits yours.

The meaning behind Cornwall

Ask a genealogist about Cornwall and the first name they will mention is Cornell. Taken at its root, Cornwall points to “From Cornwall or Cornhill”.

Before spelling was fixed, Cornell was also written Cornwall. Regional accents shaped spellings long before dictionaries fixed them. You may also find the name written Cornel. 2,531 Americans were listed as Cornwall in the 2010 census. That puts it among the top 25,000 US surnames. Cornwall sounds close to Cornwell, so it can help to search both.

Get the complete Cornwall report, with a museum-style coat of arms.