Show ContentsCoen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Irish names tend to vary widely in their spelling and overall form. The original Gaelic form of the name Coen is "O Cadhain," from the word "cadhan," which means wild goose. Kilcoyne, commonly seen as an alias of Coyne, is a patronymic name derived from the Gaelic name Mac Giolla Chaoine, denoting the son of a devotee of St. Caoin. Coen is also often the Anglicized version of the Gaelic name "O Comhdhain."

Early Origins of the Coen family

The surname Coen was first found in Connacht (Irish: Connachta, (land of the) descendants of Conn), and Leinster. The name became confused with Coen, Kyne, and Kilcoyne, all of which have derived from it, or have been the origin of Coyne. The ancient Coens, descended from the Gaelic Caomhan, the Chief of his clann in 876 A.D. who was descended from the Princes of Hy Fiachra, and the great General King Niall of the Nine Hostages.

Early History of the Coen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Coen research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1803, 1839, 1868 and 1891 are included under the topic Early Coen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coen Spelling Variations

Before widespread literacy came to Ireland, a name was often recorded under several different variations during the life of its bearer. Accordingly, numerous spelling variations were revealed in the search for the origin of the name Coen family name. Variations found include Coyne, Coen, Cohen, Kyne, Kilcoyne, Coyney, Koyne, Koen, Kohen, M'Coyne, Coyn, Coin, Coine, Koin, Koine, Barnacle (a synonym of Coyne by translation), Barnicle, Barnycle, Barnackle, Barnicall, Barnickle and many more.

Early Notables of the Coen family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Coen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coen Ranking

In the United States, the name Coen is the 8,587th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Coen migration to the United States +

Thousands of Irish families left for North American shores in the 19th century. These people were searching for a life unencumbered with poverty, hunger, and racial discrimination. Many arrived to eventually find such conditions, but many others simply did not arrive: victims of the diseased, overcrowded ships in which they traveled to the New World. Those who lived to see North American shores were instrumental in the development of the growing nations of Canada and the United States. A thorough examination of passenger and immigration lists has disclosed evidence of many early immigrants of the name Coen:

Coen Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Hugh Coen, who landed in Virginia in 1657 2
Coen Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Johannes Coen, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 2
  • Philip Coen, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 2
Coen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Owen Coen, aged 23, who landed in New York in 1812 2
  • Jolge Coen, who arrived in America in 1826 2
  • Francis Coen, who arrived in Arkansas in 1853 2
  • James Coen, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1876 2

Canada Coen migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Coen Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. Catherine Coen, aged 34 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "John Bolton" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in July 1847 3
  • Miss. Mary Coen, aged 6 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "George" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in June 1847 3
  • Mr. Michael Coen, aged 35 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Larch" departing from the port of Sligo, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in September 1847 3
  • Mr. Thomas Coen, aged 50 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "George" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in June 1847 3
  • Mrs. Bridget Coen, aged 30 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Abbotsford" departing 23rd April 1847 from Dublin, Ireland; the ship arrived on 21st June 1847 but she died on board 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Coen migration to Australia +

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

Coen Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss. Bridget Coen, (Cohen, Cowan), (b. 1827), aged 22, Irish country servant who was convicted in Galway, Ireland for 10 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Australasia" on 26th June 1849, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
  • Patrick Coen, aged 27, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Henry Moore"

Contemporary Notables of the name Coen (post 1700) +

  • Andy Coen (1964-2022), American college head coach of the Lehigh University Mountain Hawks football team in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (2006-2018)
  • Bill Coen, American college basketball coach
  • Eleanor Coen, American printmaker and painter who works are seen at the Smithsonian American Art Museum
  • Wilbur F. "Junior" Coen Jr (1911-1998), American tennis player, the youngest tennis player to ever represent the United States in the Davis Cup at the age of 16
  • Ethan Jesse Coen (b. 1957), award-winning American filmmaker along with his brother Joel 6
  • Joel David Coen (b. 1954), award-winning American filmmaker along with his brother Ethan 7
  • Walter S. Coen, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Colorado, 1920 8
  • John R. Coen, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Colorado, 1924, 1932; Colorado Republican State Chair, 1925-31 8
  • Homer C. Coen, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Durango, 1916-17 8
  • Séamus Coen (b. 1958), retired Irish hurler from Mullagh, County Galway
  • ... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 19)
  4. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 69)
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/australasia
  6. Ethan Coen. (Retrieved 2011, January 21) Ethan Coen. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coen_brothers
  7. Joel Coen. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Joel Coen. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coen_brothers
  8. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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