Show ContentsCoolidge History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the name Coolidge date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Coolidge family lived in Coldridge, in Devon. Alternatively, the family dould have originated in Colwich, a parish, in the S. division of the hundred of Pirehill, union, and N. division of the county of Staffordshire. 1

"A writer in West Scotland said there was a family or families named Colledge resident for many generations at Hawick, Darnick, near Melrose, and Lauder; in Edinburgh for over 200 years and also in Glasgow." 2

Early Origins of the Coolidge family

The surname Coolidge was first found in Nottinghamshire, where Brian de Colewich was registered in 1210. 3

The family were more often than not in "the west of England any court or group of cottages having a common entrance from the street is called a college, and residence at such a place. probably originated the name." 4

Records of the family are very scarce. The Wills at Chester list John Colledge, of Colne, dotkworker, 1639. 5

Early History of the Coolidge family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Coolidge research. Another 63 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1578, 1635, 1639, 1670 and 1681 are included under the topic Early Coolidge History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coolidge Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Coolidge are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Coolidge include: Colledge, College, Collage, Gollege, Golledge, Callage, Calledge, Gollidge, Collige, Collidge and many more.

Early Notables of the Coolidge family

Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Coolidge Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coolidge Ranking

In the United States, the name Coolidge is the 9,723rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6


United States Coolidge migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Coolidge or a variant listed above:

Coolidge Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Coolidge, who landed in Massachusetts in 1630 7
Coolidge Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Coolidge, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1821 7
  • J B Coolidge, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 7
  • L A Coolidge, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 7
  • Miss E Coolidge, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Coolidge (post 1700) +

  • President John Calvin Coolidge Jr. (b. 1972), American politician, thirtieth President of the United States (1923–1929)
  • Jennifer Coolidge (b. 1963), American Gold Globe Award and Primetime Emmy Award winning actress from Boston, Massachusetts
  • Charles Henry Coolidge (1921-2021), United States Army technical sergeant and a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his heroism in France during World War II
  • Susan Coolidge (1835-1905), American children's author, pen name of Sarah Chauncey Woolsey
  • William David Coolidge (1873-1975), American physicist
  • Rita Coolidge (b. 1945), multiple Grammy Award-winning American vocalist
  • Martha Coolidge, American film director, former President of the Directors Guild of America
  • Peggy Stuart Coolidge (1913-1981), American composer and conductor
  • Marcus A. Coolidge (1865-1947), American politician, US Senator from Massachusetts
  • Harold Jefferson Coolidge Jr. (1904-1985), American primatologist
  • ... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  2. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  7. 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)


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