Corner is an old but relatively rare surname. There can be several different origins for a surname like ours, spelling and pronunciation might change over the centuries and different individual (unrelated) surname founders lived in different countries. The surname was often recorded as 'Cornay' in pre-fifteenth century records in the North East of England. YDNA testing can help determine if men with the same surnames are related - or not related - to the same earlier common ancestor. The Y chromosome is passed down from father to son, often along with the surname, and changes very little over time.