Corse is a European
surname
In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community.
Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...
with several apparently independent origins. An English origin traces to
Corse, Gloucestershire
Corse is a village in the English county of Gloucestershire, next to the village of Staunton. The parish lies on the tongue of land between the River Severn and the River Leadon. It is 6 miles north of Gloucester and 7 miles south-west of Tewke ...
, a location in
South West England
South West England, or the South West of England, is one of nine official regions of England. It consists of the counties of Bristol, Cornwall (including the Isles of Scilly), Dorset, Devon, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. Cities and ...
. A Scottish origin can be traced to one of several specific locations in
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, or to a location type, as in a locale resembling a "cross". Another origin appears from
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...
as a 17th-century variant of the surname
Carsten. The United Kingdom and Scandinavia may not account for all origins of the 'Corse' surname, as records show that the largest number of immigrants (albeit yet small) into the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
bearing this surname originated in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
and
Sardinia
Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...
. One point of origin of the Corse surname into the United States was through the person of James Corse in the late 17th century, on whom a significant amount of genealogical research has been expended.
"Corse" was apparently uncommon in 19th and 20th century United States and England. In 1891 the surname was found in London and several counties of England (7 of
39) and Wales (1 of
13). In the United States in 1840, the surname was concentrated in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
,
Vermont
Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
and to a lesser extent in
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
with a smattering in the remaining states (total of 10 out of
26). From 1840 to 1920, instances of the surname spread to most continental states (missing in 15 states of 50, including
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
and
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
).
The Corse surname is shared by several notable people:
*
Montgomery D. Corse
Montgomery Dent Corse (March 14, 1816 – February 11, 1895) was an American banker, gold prospector, and soldier who served as a general in the Confederate States Army during the Civil War. He commanded the 17th Virginia Infantry and then Corse ...
(1816–1895), American Civil War officer
*
John M. Corse (1835–1893), American state politician and Civil War General
See also
*
Forbes of Corse
References
{{surname, Corse