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Show ContentsCoakley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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The Anglo-Saxon name Coakley comes from when the family resided in Staffordshire, at Colclough. The place name is a compound of two words, col, meaning cold, and clough, meaning gully. The surname means "dweller near the cold ravine."

Early Origins of the Coakley family

The surname Coakley was first found in Staffordshire at Colclough, "an estate in Staffordshire, in which county the family resided, temp. Edward III." 1 "Colecrough, found in the same county, is a manifest variant." 2

"Colclough is the name of an ancient family that resided on the estate of their name at Wolstanton as far back as the reign of Edward III.; the Colcloughs were lords of the manor of Hanley in the 17th century, and members of the family received the honour of knighthood and possessed a baronetcy. The name is still in Hanley." 3

Early History of the Coakley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Coakley research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1384, 1385, 1386, 1390, 1395, 1397, 1414, 1542, 1575, 1590, 1624, 1628, 1630, 1637, 1650, 1678, 1684, 1687, 1696, 1758 and 1766 are included under the topic Early Coakley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coakley Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Coakley include Colclough, Coleclough, Collclough and others.

Early Notables of the Coakley family

Notables of this surname at this time include: William Colclough (died c. 1414), of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire and Calverhall, Shropshire, an English politician. He was a Member (MP) of the Parliament of England for Newcastle-under-Lyme in November 1384, 1385, 1386, January 1390, 1395 and January 1397. Caesar Colclough (1696-1766) was a Member of Parliament for County Wexford in the Irish House of Commons.The Colclough Baronetcy, of Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, was created in the baronetage of Ireland on...
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Coakley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coakley Ranking

In the United States, the name Coakley is the 5,553rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 4

Ireland Migration of the Coakley family to Ireland

Some of the Coakley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

United States Coakley migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Coakley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John P Coakley, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1887 5

Canada Coakley migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Coakley Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Patrick Coakley, aged 24, a currier, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Matilda" from Cork, Ireland
  • Margaret Coakley, aged 20, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Matilda" from Cork, Ireland
  • Ellen Coakley, aged 20, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Matilda" from Cork, Ireland
  • John Coakley, aged 2, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Matilda" from Cork, Ireland
  • Jeremiah Coakley, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1837 aboard the barque "Robert Watt" from Cork, Ireland
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Coakley migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Coakley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. David Coakley, English convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bardaster" on 7th September 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
  • Miss Mary Coakley, (Julia, Kelleher), (b. 1814), aged 23, Irish house maid who was convicted in Cork, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Diamond" on 29th November 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7

New Zealand Coakley migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Coakley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Cornelius Coakley, aged 22, a farm labourer, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Siberia" in 1870
  • John Coakley, aged 21, a farm labourer, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Siberia" in 1870
  • Mr. Cornelius Coakley, (b. 1847), aged 22, Irish farm labourer, from County Cork travelling from London aboard the ship "Siberia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st February 1870 8
  • Mr. John Coakley, (b. 1848), aged 21, Irish farm labourer, from County Cork travelling from London aboard the ship "Siberia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st February 1870 8
  • Mr. Denis Coakley, (b. 1864), aged 19, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Victory " arriving in Invercargill, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd December 1883 8
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Coakley (post 1700) +

  • William C. Coakley, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Havre de Grace, Maryland, 1954-62 (acting, 1954-56) 9
  • Robert C. Coakley, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from West Virginia, 1952, 1956 10
  • Maurice P. Coakley (b. 1906), American Republican politician, Member of Wisconsin State Senate 15th District, 1935-42 11
  • Martha Coakley (b. 1963), American Democratic Party politician, Middlesex County District Attorney, 1999-2007;Massachusetts State Attorney General, 2006, 2007-; Candidate for U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, 2010 12
  • J. W. Coakley, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Iowa, 1916 13
  • George W. Coakley, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Independence, Missouri, 1898-1900 14
  • Daniel J. Coakley, American politician, Mayor of Chicopee, Massachusetts, 1918 15
  • Daniel H. Coakley (b. 1865), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Massachusetts State House of Representatives, 1892-94Candidate for Mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, 1925, 1929 15
  • Charles P. Coakley, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New Hampshire State Senate 7th District, 1916; Member of New Hampshire State House of Representatives from Concord 1st Ward; Elected 1938 16
  • Carol L. Coakley, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Massachusetts, 2000 17
  • ... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Coakley Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: His calcabo gentes
Motto Translation: By these I will trample on the nations.
  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bardaster
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 1st July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Diamond
  8. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  9. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2017, April 12) William Coakley. Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  10. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2017, April 12) Robert Coakley. Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  11. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2017, April 12) Maurice Coakley. Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  12. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2017, April 12) Martha Coakley. Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  13. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2017, April 12) J. Coakley. Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  14. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2017, April 12) George Coakley. Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  15. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2017, April 12) Daniel Coakley. Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  16. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2017, April 12) Charles Coakley. Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  17. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2017, April 12) Carol Coakley. Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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