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

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Of all the Anglo-Saxon names to come from Britain, Coulson is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived in the region of Colston, a parish in the county of Nottingham.

Early Origins of the Coulson family

The surname Coulson was first found in Northumberland where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the Coulson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Coulson research. Another 113 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1090, 1200, 1379, 1636, 1668, 1680, 1721, 1722 and 1760 are included under the topic Early Coulson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coulson Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Coulson has been spelled many different ways, including Coulson, Colson, Colsune, Colsoun, Colsoune, Culson, Culsoune, Cullson, Collson, Coullson, Collsoun and many more.

Early Notables of the Coulson family

Notables of this surname at this time include: John Colson (1680-1760), British mathematician, Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University. He "was son of Francis Colson of Lichfield, vicar-choral of the cathedral and nephew of John Strype, the ecclesiastical historian." 1Lancelot Colson (fl. 1668), was an astrologer who practised at the sign of the Royal Oak on...
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Coulson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coulson Ranking

In the United States, the name Coulson is the 7,104th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Coulson is ranked the 852nd most popular surname with an estimated 7,949 people with that name. 3

United States Coulson migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Coulsons to arrive in North America:

Coulson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Danil Coulson, who landed in Virginia in 1648 4
  • Daniel Coulson, who arrived in Maryland in 1665 4
  • Thomas Coulson, who landed in Virginia in 1666 4
  • Richard Coulson, who arrived in Maryland in 1674 4
  • Maudlin Coulson, who landed in Maryland in 1680 4
Coulson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Hen Coulson, who arrived in Virginia in 1713 4
  • John Coulson, who landed in Virginia in 1713 4
Coulson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William Coulson, who landed in America in 1804 4
  • Patrick Coulson, aged 31, who arrived in Maryland in 1812 4
  • John B Coulson, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1813 4
  • Ph Coulson, aged 40, who landed in America in 1821 4
  • Eneas Coulson, who arrived in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1886 4

Canada Coulson migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Coulson Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
  • John Coulson who settled in Hampstead, Connecticut, in the year 1666
Coulson Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • John Coulson, who settled in Fort Cumberland, Nova Scotia in 1774
  • John Coulson, aged 20, who arrived in Fort Cumberland, Nova Scotia in 1774

Australia Coulson migration to Australia +

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

Coulson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Coulson, British Convict who was convicted in York, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
  • Mr. George Coulson, English convict who was convicted in WEst Riding, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 29th April 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
  • Jonathan Coulson, aged 25, a mason, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Hyderabad" 7
  • Mr. George Coulson, British Convict who was convicted in Durham, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Corona" on 13th October 1866, arriving in Western Australia, Australia 8

New Zealand Coulson 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:

Coulson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Coulson, Australian settler travelling from Hobart, Tasmania, Australia aboard the ship "Brazil Packet" arriving in New Zealand in 1833 9
  • R. Coulson, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ulcoats" in 1864
  • W. Coulson, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Robert Henderson" in 1872 10
  • Miss Emma J. Coulson, (b. 1856), aged 18, English settler from Middlesex travelling from London aboard the ship "Sussex" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 17th July 1874 11
  • Robert Coulson, aged 24, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "La Hogue" in 1874
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Coulson (post 1700) +

  • Catherine Elizabeth Coulson (1943-2015), American stage and screen actress, known for her roles in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992), The Amputee (1974) and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
  • Elizabeth Coulson (b. 1954), American former Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives (1997-2011)
  • Danny Coulson, American law enforcement official, former Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI
  • Robert Jackson "Bob" Coulson (1887-1953), American Major League Baseball and Federal League outfielder who played from 1908 to 1914
  • Robert Strattor "Buck" Coulson (1928-1999), American science fiction writer
  • Joseph Coulson (b. 1957), American novelist, poet, and playwright
  • Walter Coulson (1794-1860), English lawyer and man of letters, the second son of Thomas Coulson (d. 1845), master painter for many years in the royal dockyard at Devonport 12
  • Gustavus Hamilton Blenkinsopp Coulson VC, DSO (1879-1901), English recipient of the Victoria Cross
  • Elizabeth Kerr Coulson (1819-1876), English novelist who used the pseudonym Roxburghe Lothian
  • Charlie William Coulson (b. 1996), English footballer
  • ... (Another 8 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
HMS Hood
  • Mr. John Coulson (b. 1911), English Musician serving for the Royal Marine Band from York, Yorkshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 13
HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. John Coulson, British Petty Officer Cook, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 14
HMS Repulse
  • Mr. Phillip Coulson, British Engine Room Artificer 4th Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 15
HMS Royal Oak
  • Tom S. Coulson, British Able Seaman with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 16
SS Caribou
  • Mr. Fred Coulson, (George), British passenger who was Royal Air Force from Montreal, Quebec was travelling aboard the railway ferry "SS Caribou" when it was struck by a German submarine torpedo on 14th October 1942, the most significant sinking in Canadian waters at that time, he died in the sinking

The Coulson 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: Je mourrai pour ceux que j'aime
Motto Translation: I would die for those I love.
  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  4. 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)
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th April 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
  7. South Australian Register Wednesday 15th March 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Hyderabad 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/hyderabad1854.shtml
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/corona
  9. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  10. The Daily Southern Cross October 25th 1872. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Robert Henderson. Retrieved from http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ourstuff/RobertHenderson1872.htm
  11. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  12. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020
  13. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
  14. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
  15. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
  16. Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
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