Show ContentsCoyne 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 Coyne 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 Coyne family

The surname Coyne 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 Coyne family

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

Coyne Spelling Variations

Just like the English language, the Gaelic language of Ireland was not standardized in the Middle Ages. Therefore, one's name was often recorded under several different spellings during the life of its bearer. Spelling variations revealed in the search for the origins of the Coyne family name 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 Coyne family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was

  • Joseph Sterling Coyne (1803-1868), a famous Irish playwright, was the founder of the English magazine "Punch

Coyne Ranking

In the United States, the name Coyne is the 3,669th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1


United States Coyne migration to the United States +

Ireland became inhospitable for many native Irish families in the 19th centuries. Poverty, lack of opportunities, high rents, and discrimination forced thousands to leave the island for North America. The largest exodus of Irish settlers occurred with the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. For these immigrants the journey to British North America and the United States was long and dangerous and many did not live to see the shores of those new lands. Those who did make it were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest and most powerful nations of the world. These Irish immigrants were not only important for peopling the new settlements and cities, they also provided the manpower needed for the many industrial and agricultural projects so essential to these growing nations. Immigration and passenger lists have documented the arrival of various people bearing the name Coyne to North America:

Coyne Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Patrick Coyne, who settled in Philadelphia in 1813
  • James Coyne, who landed in New York, NY in 1840 2
  • John Coyne, who arrived in America in 1855 2
  • John, Joseph, Lawrence, Michael, Patrick, Peter, Thaddeus, Thomas, and William Coyne, all, who arrived in Philadelphia between 1850 and 1870
  • Andrew Coyne, aged 22, who settled in America from Cork, in 1892
Coyne Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Bridget Coyne, aged 20, who settled in America from Darrisbeg, in 1901
  • Annie Coyne, aged 18, who arrived in America from Ballinrobe, Ireland in 1902
  • Ann Coyne, aged 17, who arrived in New York from Tullycross, Ireland in 1904
  • Annie Coyne, aged 18, who landed in America from Galway, Ireland, in 1910
  • Bridget Coyne, aged 22, who settled in America from Castlebar, Ireland, in 1910
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Coyne migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Coyne Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
  • Alfred T.A. Coyne, aged 26, who arrived Edmonton, Canada, in 1913

Australia Coyne migration to Australia +

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

Coyne Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Coyne, (b. 1821), aged 15, English convict who was convicted in Leeds, Yorkshire, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 20th January 1836, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3
  • John Coyne, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Sir Charles Forbes" in 1839 4

New Zealand Coyne 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:

Coyne Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Miss Margaret Coyne, (b. 1854), aged 25, Irish domestic servant, from Galway travelling from Clyde aboard the ship "Nelson" arriving in Invercargill, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 28th August 1879 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Coyne (post 1700) +

  • Tom Coyne (1954-2017), American Grammy award-winning mastering engineer
  • William Joseph Coyne (1936-2013), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1970-72; U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 14th District, 1981-2003 6
  • Thomas Telesphore Coyne (1908-1984), American politician, Burgess of Carnegie, Pennsylvania, 1953-60 6
  • Robert E. Coyne, American politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives 12th District, 1933-36 6
  • Thomas J. Coyne Jr., American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Ohio 19th District, 1996 6
  • Peter M. Coyne (b. 1847), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Vermont State House of Representatives from Maidstone, 1888 6
  • Michael F. Coyne, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Providence, Rhode Island, 1942-45 6
  • Patrick J. Coyne, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Ohio, 1996 6
  • Michael Coyne, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1996 6
  • Leonard S. Coyne, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for Michigan State Senate, 1928, 1940 6
  • ... (Another 24 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. Ernest Coyne, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 7
HMS Repulse
  • Mr. Charles Coyne, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 8
RMS Lusitania
  • Mr. Patrick Coyne, (Coyle), Irish Trimmer from Ballyheane, Mayo, Ireland, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 9


Suggested Readings for the name Coyne +

  • Coan (and Coyne) Genealogy, 1697-1982: Peter and George of East Hampton and Guilford, Connecticut by Ruth Coan Fulton.

  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. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
  4. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SIR CHARLES FORBES (originally Charles Forbes) 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839SirCharlesForbes.htm
  5. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 27) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  7. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
  8. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
  9. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


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