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.[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
- Jim Corbett (including James Corbett)
- Michael Corbett
- William Corbett
In politics
- Albert H. C. Corbett, politician in Manitoba, Canada
- Archibald Corbett, 1st Baron Rowallan, Scottish Liberal politician
- Arthur Corbett, 3rd Baron Rowallan, British aristocrat most notable for successfully having his second marriage annulled in 1970
- Henry W. Corbett, 3rd United States Senator from Oregon (class 3)
- John Corbett (industrialist), (1817–1901), English industrialist, politician and philanthropist
- James Corbett (Australian politician) (1906–2005), Australian Country Party politician
- James A. Corbett, (1933–2001), American rancher, writer, and human rights activist
- Jim Corbett (politician), U.S. politician
- Moses Corbet, Major (1728–1814) was Lieutenant Governor of Jersey from 4 Apr 1771 - 1781.
- Richard Corbett, former Member of the European Parliament for the Labour Party for Yorkshire and the Humber
- Robin Corbett, Baron Corbett of Castle Vale, the Labour member of parliament for Birmingham, Erdington
- Ron Corbett, Mayor of Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Thomas Corbett, 2nd Baron Rowallan, Bronze Wolf awardee
- Tom Corbett, Governor of Pennsylvania (2011-)
In sport
- Anders Corbett, American Rower
- Claude Corbett, Australian sports journalist
- Doug Corbett, pitcher with an 8 year career from 1980–1987
- Fred Corbett, English footballer who played in the late 19th and early 20th century
- Gene Corbett, major league first baseman from 1936–1938
- Harold Corbett, Australian rugby league footballer
- James J. Corbett, heavyweight boxing champion
- Joe Corbett, major league starting pitcher who played in the National League
- Marius Corbett, South African javelin thrower
- Michael Corbett (ice hockey), professional hockey player
- Norman Corbett, Scottish footballer
- Willie Corbett, Scottish footballer
- Young Corbett III, the world welterweight boxing champion
In literature
- William 'Bill' Corbett, Historian
- Edward P. J. Corbett, author
- Sarah Corbett, British poet born 1970, received Eric Gregory Award 1997
- Scott Corbett children's author
- Steve Corbett, author of When Helping Hurts
In business
- Gerald Corbett, head of Railtrack
- Roger Corbett Australian businessman, CEO of Woolworths Ltd 2001-2007
In television, film and fiction
- Ben Corbett (1892–1961), American actor
- Bill Corbett, playwright, television writer, screenwriter, and performer
- Daniel Corbett, British meteorologist
- Glenn Corbett, American actor
- Gretchen Corbett, American actress most noted for the role of "Beth Davenport" on the television series The Rockford Files
- Harry Corbett, British puppeteer
- Harry H. Corbett, British actor
- John Corbett (actor) (born 1961), U.S. actor
- Matthew Corbett, British television personality known for The Sooty Show
- Ronnie Corbett, Scottish comedian and actor
- Shaun Taylor-Corbett, American actor
- Susannah Corbett, British actress
- Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, the main character in a series of Tom Corbett — Space Cadet stories
- Winslow Corbett, American actress and the daughter of Rockford Files supporting player Gretchen Corbett
In military
- Boston Corbett, the Union soldier who shot and mortally wounded Abraham Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth
- Frederick Corbett, English recipient of the Victoria Cross
- Julian Corbett, British naval historian and geostrategist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries
In geography
- John Rooke Corbett, mountaineer and compiler of list of peaks between 2500 and 3000 feet.
In other fields
- Margaret Darst Corbett, American vision educator
- Jim Corbett (hunter), hunter and naturalist in India
- Joseph Corbett, Jr., former Fulbright scholar
- Sidney Corbett, American composer based in Germany
- Jonathan Corbett, TV Presenter, Food Commentator & Buyer for Tesco
See also
↑Jump back a sectionReferences
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b c d 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.
- ^ Black, George Fraser (1946), The surnames of Scotland: their origin, meaning, and history, New York Public Library, p. 170.
- ^ 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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