Cooke is a surname of English and Irish origin derived from the occupation of

cook Cook or The Cook may refer to: Food preparation * Cooking, the preparation of food * Cook (domestic worker), a household staff member who prepares food * Cook (profession), an individual who prepares food for consumption in the food industry * C ...

and

anglicisation Anglicisation or anglicization is a form of cultural assimilation whereby something non-English becomes assimilated into or influenced by the culture of England. It can be sociocultural, in which a non-English place adopts the English language ...

of various

Gaelic Gaelic (pronounced for Irish Gaelic and for Scots Gaelic) is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". It may refer to: Languages * Gaelic languages or Goidelic languages, a linguistic group that is one of the two branches of the Insul ...

names. Variants include

Cook Cook or The Cook may refer to: Food preparation * Cooking, the preparation of food * Cook (domestic worker), a household staff member who prepares food * Cook (profession), an individual who prepares food for consumption in the food industry * C ...

and McCook.

Irish surname origin

Cooke (rather than Cook) is the usual spelling of the surname in

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

, where it is found throughout all four

provinces A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provi ...

. In

Connacht Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...

, Cooke is the modern anglicized form of the

name Mac Dhabhóc (also called Mac Uag). In

Leinster Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...

, it is mainly an occupational name, long established there. In 1465, a law was passed that impacted Gaelic surnames in several counties in Leinster, specifically,

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

Meath County Meath ( ; or simply , ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is bordered by County Dublin to the southeast, County ...

Louth Louth may refer to: Australia *Hundred of Louth, a cadastral unit in South Australia * Louth, New South Wales, a town * Louth Bay, a bay in South Australia ** Louth Bay, South Australia, a town and locality Canada * Louth, Ontario Ireland * Cou ...

and

Kildare Kildare () is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. , its population was 10,302, making it the 7th largest town in County Kildare. It is home to Kildare Cathedral, historically the site of an important abbey said to have been founded by Saint ...

. The law required that "every Irishman, dwelling betwixt or amongst Englishmen... shall take to him an English surname of one town, as Sutton, Chester, Trim, Skryne, Cork, Kinsale; or colour, as white, black, browne; or art or science, as smith or carpenter; or office, as cooke, butler...". In

Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...

, many Cookes descend from the MacCooks (MacCuagh) of

Kintyre Kintyre (, ) is a peninsula in western Scotland, in the southwest of Argyll and Bute. The peninsula stretches about , from the Mull of Kintyre in the south to East Loch Tarbert, Argyll, East and West Loch Tarbert, Argyll, West Loch Tarbert in t ...

, a branch of the Clan MacDonald. The surname was distributed throughout Ireland in the mid-nineteenth century. The highest numbers of Cooke households were found in counties

Cavan Cavan ( ; ) is the county town of County Cavan in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town lies in Ulster, near the border with County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. The town is bypassed by the main N3 road (Ireland), N3 road that links Dublin ( ...

Galway Galway ( ; , ) is a City status in Ireland, city in (and the county town of) County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay. It is the most populous settlement in the province of Connacht, the List of settleme ...

, and

Armagh Armagh ( ; , , " Macha's height") is a city and the county town of County Armagh, in Northern Ireland, as well as a civil parish. It is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland – the seat of the Archbishops of Armagh, the Primates of All ...

, reflecting a strong presence in both

and

. Other areas, such as

Cork "Cork" or "CORK" may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Stopper (plug), or "cork", a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container *** Wine cork an item to seal or reseal wine Places Ireland * ...

and Tipperary, also had significant numbers of households. Below is the detailed distribution of Cooke households by county:

English surname origin

Cooke is a variant of the more common spelling

People with the surname

Notable people with the surname include: * Alec Cooke (1920–2007), Northern Irish politician *

Alexander Cooke Alexander Cooke (died February 1614) was an actor in the King's Men and the Lord Chamberlain's Men, the acting companies of William Shakespeare, John Heminges and Richard Burbage. Cooke was most likely introduced to the theatre by John Heming ...

(died 1614), English actor *

Alfred Tyrone Cooke Flight Lieutenant Alfred Tyrone Cooke VrC (born 1939 or 1940) is an Indian pilot who was decorated for his role in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. He was honoured with the Vir Chakra in September 1965.Alistair Cooke Alistair Cooke, Order of the British Empire, KBE (né Alfred Cooke; 20 November 1908 – 30 March 2004) was a British-American writer whose work as a journalist, television personality and radio broadcaster was done primarily in the Unite ...

KBE (1908–2004), British-American journalist and broadcaster *

Amos Starr Cooke Amos Starr Cooke (December 1, 1810 – March 20, 1871) was an American educator and businessman in the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was patriarch of a family that influenced Hawaii during the 20th century. Life Amos Starr Cooke was born in Danbury, Co ...

(1810–1871), found of Royal School and Castle & Cooke in Hawaii *

Anna Rice Cooke Anna Rice Cooke (September 5, 1853 – August 8, 1934) was a patron of the arts and the founder of the Honolulu Museum of Art. Biography Anna Charlotte Rice was born on September 5, 1853, into a prominent missionary family on Oahu, Hawaii. Her fa ...

(1853–1934), patron of the arts and founder of the Honolulu Academy of Arts *

Anne Margaret Cooke Anne Cooke Reid (; October 6, 1907 – 1997) was an American stage director and academic. She founded and led theater departments at Historically black colleges and universities, historically Black universities including Howard University, where ...

(1907–1997) also known as Anne Cooke Reid, African-American stage director and academic *

Anthony Cooke Sir Anthony Cooke, KB (June 1501 – 11 June 1576) was an English humanist scholar. He was a companion and tutor to Edward VI. Family Anthony Cooke was the only son of John Cooke (died 10 October 1516), esquire, of Gidea Hall, Essex, and Alic ...

(1505–1576), British scholar * Aoife Cooke (born 1986), Irish long-distance runner and Olympian *

Baden Cooke Baden Cooke (born 12 October 1978) is an Australian retired professional racing cyclist, who competed professionally between 2000 and 2013. Early life Born in Benalla, Victoria, Cooke began competitive cycling at 11. He completed secondary sc ...

(born 1978), Australian cyclist * Barrie Cooke (1931–2014), Irish painter * Bates Cooke, US Representative 1831–1833, and NY State Comptroller 1839–1841 *

Benjamin Cooke Benjamin Cooke (1734 – 14 September 1793) was an United Kingdom, English composer, organist and teacher. Cooke was born in London and named after his father, also Benjamin Cooke (publisher), Benjamin Cooke (1695/1705 – 1743), a music publ ...

(1734–1793), British musician *

Beryl Cooke Beryl Cooke (1 November 1906 – 21 August 2001) was an English actress. Her career spanned six decades; she is most familiar to British audiences as Aunt Lucy in the sitcom '' Happy Ever After'' and Mrs. Vance in the BBC drama '' Tenko''. ...

(1906–2001), British actress *

Callie Cooke Callie Cooke (born 23 October 1993) is a British actress. She was nominated for an ''Evening Standard'' Theatre Award in 2015. On television, she is best known for her role in the BBC Two comedy '' Henpocalypse!'' (2023). Early life and educati ...

(born 1993), English actress * Carolyn Jess-Cooke (born 1978) Northern Irish poet and novelist * C. R. Cooke (Conrad Reginald Cooke, 1901–1996), English early Himalayan mountaineer * Charles Cooke (disambiguation), several people * Chauncey H. Cooke (1846–1919), American soldier in the U.S. Civil War *

Christian Cooke Christian Louis Cooke (born 15 September 1987) is an English actor. He is known for playing Luke Kirkwall in '' Where the Heart Is'', Luke Rutherford in ''Demons'', Dorian Gaudain in ''Trinity'', Freddie Taylor in '' Cemetery Junction'' and Len ...

(born 1986), English actor *

Clarence Hyde Cooke Clarence Hyde Cooke (April 17, 1876 – August 23, 1944) was a politician and businessman in Honolulu. Life Clarence Cooke was born April 17, 1876, in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was the second son of Charles Montague Cooke and Anna Rice Cooke, and gr ...

(1876–1944), businessman in Hawaii *

Dave Cooke Dave Cooke (born August 1, 1952) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was an Ontario New Democratic Party, NDP member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, provincial legislature from 1977 to 1997, and was a senior cabinet minister i ...

, Canadian politician * Denise D'Ascenzo Cooke (19582019), American news anchor * Derek Cooke (born 1991), basketball player for

Hapoel Gilboa Galil Hapoel Gilboa Galil () is a professional basketball club that is based in north-east Israel. The club plays its home game in the Israeli Basketball Premier League (the top tier of Israeli basketball) in a 2,250-seat arena in Gan Ner. History T ...

of the

Israeli Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl (, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is a professional basketball league in Israel and the highest level of basketball in the country. The league's name is abbreviated as either BSL ...

Deryck Cooke Deryck Cooke (14 September 1919 – 26 October 1976) was a British musician, musicologist, broadcaster and Gustav Mahler expert. Life Cooke was born in Leicester to a poor, working-class family; his father died when he was a child, but his mother ...

(1919–1975), British musicologist * Doc Cook (Charles L. Cooke, 1891–1958), American jazz bandleader * Douglas Graham Cooke (1895–1955), British World War I flying ace * Dusty Cooke (1907–1987), American professional baseball player *

Eamonn Cooke "Captain" Eamonn Cooke (died 4 June 2016) was a former owner of pirate radio station Irish pirate radio#Radio Dublin, Radio Dublin. He was a convicted paedophile, and a suspect in the disappearance of Philip Cairns. He assumed ownership of the st ...

(1936–2016) Irish broadcaster and convicted paedophile * Ebenezer Cooke (1832–1907), Australian politician * Edmund F. Cooke (1885–1967), US congressman from New York * Edward Cooke, several people *

Emer Cooke Emer Cooke is an Irish pharmacist and Executive Director of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) since November 2020. She is also the chairperson at the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA). Education Cooke obtai ...

(born 1961) Irish pharmacist and executive director of the

EMA Ema or EMA may refer to: Biology and medicine * Anti-Endomysial Antibodies test * Epithelial membrane antigen * European Medicines Agency, a European Union agency for the evaluation of medicinal products * European Medical Association, associa ...

Eric Edgar Cooke Eric Edgar Cooke (25 February 1931 – 26 October 1964), nicknamed the Night Caller and later the Nedlands Monster, was an Australian serial killer who terrorised the city of Perth, Western Australia, from September 1958 to August 1963. Cooke co ...

, Australian murderer *

Francis Cooke Francis Cooke (c.1583 – April 7, 1663) was a Leiden Separatist, who went to America in 1620 on the Pilgrim ship ''Mayflower'', which arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts. He was a founding member of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and a signer of ...

, Passenger on the ''Mayflower'' * Francis Judd Cooke (1910–1995), American composer * Fred Cooke (born 1980) Irish comedian *

Gary Cooke Gary Cooke is an Irish actor, satirist and writer who is one of the stars, on screen, of ''Après Match'' and, on stage, '' I, Keano'' and ''MacBecks''. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of media personality Eamon Dunphy, although h ...

, Irish actor, satirist and writer * Geoff Cooke (disambiguation), several people * George Cooke (disambiguation), several people * Gordon Cooke, (born 1975) Irish cricketer * Henry Cooke, (1788–1868) Irish Presbyterian minister * H. Basil S. Cooke (1915–2018), Canadian paleontologist *

Hope Cooke Hope Cooke (born June 24, 1940) was the Gyalmo (; Queen Consort) of the 12th and last Chogyal (King) of Sikkim, Palden Thondup Namgyal. Their wedding took place in March 1963. She was termed ''Her Highness The Crown Princess of Sikkim'' and bec ...

, Queen of Sikkim *

Jack Kent Cooke Jack Kent Cooke (October 25, 1912 – April 6, 1997) was a Canadian American businessman in broadcasting and professional sports. Starting in sales, Cooke was very successful, eventually becoming a partner in a network of radio stations and new ...

(1912–1997), Canadian entrepreneur *

James Cooke-Collis Major-General Sir (William) James Norman Cooke-Collis, (7 May 1876 – 14 April 1941) was General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland District. Military career Cooke-Collis was born on 7 May 1876 in Castle Cooke, Kilworth, County Cork to Lt. ...

(1876–1941) Irish born British Army General * Sir

James Douglas Cooke Sir James Douglas Cooke, FRCS (1879 – 13 July 1949) was a Conservative politician from England. He served as the British Conservative politician for Hammersmith South In 1931, he became a member of Parliament, where he remained unti ...

(1879–1949), MP for Hammersmith South * James J. Cooke, American historian, author, academic and soldier * James W. Cooke, American naval officer *

Janet Cooke Janet Leslie Cooke (born 1954 or 1955) is an American former journalist. She received a Pulitzer Prize in 1981 for an article written for ''The Washington Post''. The story was later discovered to have been fabricated and Cooke returned the prize, ...

(born 1954), American journalist, won a Pulitzer Prize for a fabricated story *

Jay Cooke Jay Cooke (August 10, 1821 – February 16, 1905) was an American financier who helped finance the Union war effort during the American Civil War and the postwar development of railroads in the northwestern United States. He is generally acknowle ...

(1821–1905), American financier, notable for financing Union effort in Civil War and Northern Pacific Railway * Jennifer Cooke, actress * Jim Cooke, Irish teacher of maths and physics * John Cooke (disambiguation), several people * John J. Cooke (actor) (1874–1921) American Actor of Silent Era *

John William Cooke John William Cooke (14 November 1919 – 19 September 1968) was an Argentine lawyer and politician. An early follower of President Juan Perón, Cooke went on to form part and lead the revolutionary leftist wing of the Peronist movement. Followin ...

(1919–1968), Argentine politician and revolutionary * Joseph Platt Cooke (1730–1816), in American Revolutionary War * L. J. Cooke (Louis Joseph Cooke, 1868–1943), first men's basketball coach at the University of Minnesota * Lawrence H. Cooke (1914–2000), Chief Judge of New York Court of Appeals 1979–1984 * Logan Cooke (born 1995), American football player * Lorrin A. Cooke (1831–1902), American politician, governor of Connecticut *

Lloyd Miller Cooke Lloyd Miller Cooke (1916 – 2001) was an American industrial chemist and researcher. He was an early African American chemist specialized in cellulose and carbohydrate chemistry, and worked in a leadership role for many years at Union Carbide ...

(1916–2001) American chemist and researcher * Marcia G. Cooke (1954–2023), American jurist * Martin Cooke (disambiguation), several people * Mary Leggett Cooke (1852–1938), American Unitarian minister and member of the

Iowa Sisterhood The Iowa Sisterhood was a group of women ministers who organized eighteen Unitarian societies in several Midwestern states in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Some of the first women ordained in the United States were Universalist ...

Matt Cooke Matthew David Cooke (born September 7, 1978) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played sixteen seasons and 1046 games in the National Hockey League (NHL). Cooke won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the ...

, hockey player * Matthew Cooke (1829–1887), Irish entomologist * Mel Cooke (1934–2013), New Zealand rugby league footballer * Mick Cooke (born 1951), Irish association football manager *

Mildred Cooke Mildred Cecil, Baroness Burghley (née Cooke; 1526 – 4 April 1589) was an English noblewoman and translator. She was the wife of William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, the most trusted adviser of Elizabeth I of England, Elizabeth I, and the mother ...

(1524–1589) - was an English noblewoman and translator. *

Mordecai Cubitt Cooke Mordecai Cubitt Cooke (12 July 1825, in Horning, Norfolk – 12 November 1914, in Southsea, Hampshire) was an English botanist and mycologist who was, at various points, a London schoolteacher, a Kew mycologist, curator at the India Museum, jour ...

(1825–1914), British botanist *

Nathaniel Cooke Nathaniel Cooke was the English designer of a set of chess figures called the Staunton chess set which became the most commonly used chess set worldwide in chess tournaments. Chess set Cooke registered his design at the United Kingdom Patent Of ...

(19th century), designer of the standard set of chess figures * Nelson Cooke (1919–2018), Australian cellist *

Nicole Cooke Nicole Denise Cooke, MBE (born 13 April 1983) is a Welsh former professional road bicycle racer and Commonwealth, Olympic and World road race champion. At Beijing in 2008 she became the first British woman to win a Gold Olympic medal in any ...

(born 1983), British cyclist * Olivia Cooke (born 1993), English actress * Peter Cooke (Scouting) *

Philip St. George Cooke Philip St. George Cooke (June 13, 1809 – March 20, 1895) was a career United States Army cavalry officer who served as a Union General in the American Civil War. He is noted for his authorship of an Army cavalry manual, and is sometimes calle ...

(1809–1895), 19th century US cavalry officer * Pinny Cooke (1923–2004), New York politician, assemblywoman from Rochester * Ricky Cooke (born 1969), Australian racewalker *

Robin Cooke, Baron Cooke of Thorndon Robin Brunskill Cooke, Baron Cooke of Thorndon, (9 May 1926 – 30 August 2006) was a New Zealand judge and later a British Law Lord and member of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. He is widely considered one of New Zealand's most ...

, New Zealand judge * Rose Terry Cooke (1827–1892), American author, poet * Ross Cooke (born 1988), English professional wrestler *

Sam Cooke Samuel Cooke (; January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter. Considered one of the most influential soul music, soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred to as the "King of Soul" for his distin ...

(1931–1964), American singer/songwriter * Sir Samuel Cooke (1912–1978), British judge * Samuel Nathaniel Cooke (S. N. Cooke) (1883–1964), English architect * Sarah Cooke (died 1688), English actress *

Sasha Cooke Sasha Cooke (born ) is an American mezzo-soprano. Cooke was born in Riverside, California, and grew up in College Station, Texas, where her parents are professors of Russian at Texas A&M University. She earned a bachelor's degree from Rice Univers ...

, American mezzo-soprano * Senan Cooke (born 1945), Irish hurler * Sidney Cooke (born 1927), paedophile and child killer * Steve Cooke (born 1970), baseball player * Tadhg Cooke, Irish musician *

Terence Cooke Terence James Cooke (March 1, 1921 – October 6, 1983) was an American Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of New York from 1968 until his death, quietly battling leukemia throughout his tenure. He was named a cardinal in 1969. Cooke pre ...

(1921–1983), Irish American Cardinal, and Archbishop of New York *

Theodore Cooke Theodore Cooke, CIE, (born Tramore, County Waterford, January 6, 1836; died Richmond, London, November 5, 1910) was an Anglo-Irish engineer, educator, and botanist active in India. He is known for his leadership of the College of Engineering, Pune ...

(1836–1910), Anglo-Irish engineer and botanist active in India * Thomas Cooke (disambiguation), several people *

Thomas Simpson Cooke Thomas Simpson Cooke (July 1782 – 26 February 1848) was an Irish composer, conductor, singer, theatre musician and music director – an influential figure in early 19th-century opera in London. Life Mostly referred to as "Tom Cooke", he was b ...

(1782–1848), Irish composer * Tommy Cooke (1914–2014), Irish hurler and

Gaelic football Gaelic football (; short name '')'', commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA, or football, is an Irish team sport. A form of football, it is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score ...

er *

Trish Cooke Trish Cooke (born 1962) is a British playwright, actress, television presenter, scriptwriter and children's author. She was a presenter on the children's series '' Playdays''. She also wrote under the pseudonym Roselia John Baptiste. Life Cooke w ...

(born 1962), children's TV presenter, author and playwright *

Ultan Cooke Ultan Cooke (Galway, County Galway) is an Irish head chef. He was formally employed at restaurant Aniar in Galway where he was awarded a Michelin star. Cooke studied philosophy and archaeology at the National University of Ireland, Galway. He s ...

, Irish chef * Walter E. Cooke (1910–1982), New York politician * Walter H. Cooke (1838–1909), American recipient of the Medal of Honor * Weldon B. Cooke (1884–1914), American pioneer aviator killed in crash * Wells Cooke (1858–1916), American ornithologist * William Cooke (disambiguation), several people *

Wilson Cooke Wilson Cooke (1819 – 1887) was an American politician, minister, and businessman. He was a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives during the Reconstruction era, serving from 1868 until 1870. A historical marker in Greenville com ...

(1819 –1887), American politician and merchant *

Zia Cooke Zia Cooke (born January 9, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball, South Caroli ...

(born 2001), American basketball player

Fictional characters with the surname

*Caitlin Cooke, main character from the Canadian animated television series, ''

6teen ''6teen'' is a Canadian Flash animated teen comedy drama television series created by Jennifer Pertsch and Tom McGillis which originally aired for four seasons and 93 episodes on Teletoon from November 7, 2004, until February 11, 2010. Major ...

''. * Sydney "Syd" Cooke, portrayed by

Nia Peeples Virenia "Nia" Peeples (born December 10, 1961) is an American R&B and dance music singer and actress. Peeples is known for playing Nicole Chapman on the TV series ''Fame (1982 TV series), Fame''; Pam Fields on the drama ''Pretty Little Liars''; ...

, a rookie Texas Ranger and main character in the American

crime drama Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...

series, ''

Walker, Texas Ranger ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' is an American action fiction, action Crime drama, crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film ''Lone Wolf McQuade'', with both the film and the series starring Chuck Norr ...

''.

References

{{surname, Cooke English-language surnames Occupational surnames English-language occupational surnames

Irish surname origin

English surname origin

People with the surname

Fictional characters with the surname

See also

References