Ikia Cornelius El (House of Cornelius)

Etymology of Cornelius

What does the name Cornelius mean?

The Cornelius surname finds its earliest origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name is derived from Cornelius, a given name that came to England in the 15th or 16th century from Holland or Belgium. The names Cornelius and Cornelia were popular in the Low Countries because the relics of St. Cornelius, a Pope from the third century, were kept at the Chapter of Rosnay, in Flanders

The former county of Flanders, which was located on the North Sea and was often linked to both Belgium and the Netherlands, provided Britain with a large number of immigrants during the medieval period. 

https://www.houseofnames.com/blogs/Flanders. 1

Early Origins of the Cornelius family

The surname Cornelius was first found in Essex, where they held a family seat from the Middle Ages.

Cornelius Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Cornelius are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Cornelius include: Cornelius, Cornelis, Cornellis, Cornelys and others.

Early Notables of the Cornelius family

Notables of the family at this time include

• John Cornelius (1557-1594), English Jesuit, a native of Bodmin, Cornwall…

Cornelius Ranking

In the United States, the name Cornelius is the 1,762^nd most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 2 However, in South Africa, the name Cornelius is ranked the 862^nd most popular surname with an estimated 8,115 people with that name. 3