Cockrell
An English surname that is usually a variant of Cockerell, likely from a personal name or nickname rather than the bird itself.
The #3,744 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 32,620 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Cockrell is generally treated as a spelling variant of Cockerell. That surname is usually explained as a diminutive form built on an older personal name or nickname element related to Cock, with the -el / -ell ending used in medieval naming. In practice, the name may have begun as a nickname, a pet form, or an anglicized surname from French or English usage, so the exact starting point is not always certain.
History
Lower places Cockrell in Lancashire and points readers to Cockerell, showing it was already understood as a surname variant in the 19th century. Baring-Gould also notes Cockrell as an anglicized form found among families of French origin in Essex, suggesting the spelling was sometimes shaped by migration and adaptation. The modern surname remains relatively uncommon, but it is established in Britain and the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Baring-Gould specifically cites Cockrell as one of several surnames in Essex that had been anglicized from French forms.
From the historical record
“Lancashire. COCKRELL. See Cockerell. COCKS. See Cox. COCKSHUT. A chapelrj in co. Salop, and many minor localities. CODDINGTON. Parishes in cos. Ches- ter, Hereford, and Notts. The Irish family migrated to Ireland from Cheshire in 1G5G. B.L.G.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom