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 like a raven's.[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 CorbetinShropshire, recorded in Domesday Book in 1086; CorbetinShropshire, recorded in the Assize RollsofWorcestershire in 1158; and le CorbetinOxfordshire, 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]
