Show ContentsCohane 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 Cohane 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 Cohane family

The surname Cohane 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 Cohane family

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

Cohane Spelling Variations

Those scribes in Ireland during the Middle Ages recorded names as they sounded. Consequently, in this era many people were recorded under different spellings each time their name was written down. Research on the Cohane family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including 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 Cohane family

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


Canada Cohane migration to Canada +

During the 19th century thousands of impoverished Irish families made the long journey to British North America and the United States. These people were leaving a land that had become beset with poverty, lack of opportunity, and hunger. In North America, they hoped to find land, work, and political and religious freedoms. Although the majority of the immigrants that survived the long sea passage did make these discoveries, it was not without much perseverance and hard work: by the mid-19th century land suitable for agriculture was short supply, especially in British North America, in the east; the work available was generally low paying and physically taxing construction or factory work; and the English stereotypes concerning the Irish, although less frequent and vehement, were, nevertheless, present in the land of freedom, liberty, and equality for all men. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. Research into passenger and immigration lists has brought forth evidence of the early members of the Cohane family in North America:

Cohane Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Peggy Cohane, aged 21, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Thomas Hanford" from Cork, Ireland

Australia Cohane migration to Australia +

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

Cohane Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Denis Cohane, (Cochrane), (b. 1777), aged 42, Irish labourer who was convicted in Cork, Ireland for life , transported aboard the "Castle Forbes" on 3rd October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Cohane (post 1700) +

  • John Philip Cohane, American author from New Haven, Connecticut
  • Tim Cohane (b. 1942), American college basketball coach, Wall Street entrepreneur and sports lawyer


  1. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/castle-forbes


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