Kough History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The origins of the Anglo-Saxon name Kough come from its first bearer, who was a jackdaw. Checking further we found the name was derived from the Old English word coo. This was in turn derived from the Old Norse word ka, which was their word for jackdaw. Thus the original bearer of this name must have reminded his contemporaries of a jackdaw and was referred to as "Kough" as a nickname.

Early Origins of the Kough family

The surname Kough was first found in Lancashire, where the Kough family held a family seat from ancient times. The earliest known bearer of the name was Osbert Ka, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire in 1188.

Early History of the Kough family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kough research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1188, 1221, 1783 and 1860 are included under the topic Early Kough History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kough 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. Kough has been spelled many different ways, including Coe, Coes, Cowe, Kow, Cawe, Kowe, Coo, Ku, Koo and others.

Early Notables of the Kough family

More information is included under the topic Early Kough Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kough family to Ireland

Some of the Kough family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kough 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 Koughs to arrive in North America:

Kough Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jacob Kough, who landed in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania in 1742 1
Dennis Kough, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1773 1

Kough Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Lewis Kough, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1878 1
Malichi Kough, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1879 1

Kough 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:

Kough Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Johanna Kough, aged 20, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ionic" in 1884

Citations +

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)