Show ContentsColegrave History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished surname Colegrave is Anglo-Saxon in origin. It is made up of two elements, both derived from Old English: "col," meaning "cold," and "graf," meaning "grove" or "thicket." It is likely that the original bearer of the name was someone from the north who lived near a large or well-known grove.

Early Origins of the Colegrave family

The surname Colegrave was first found in Oxfordshire, where the name is thought to have first emerged. The earliest known bearer of the name was Geo Colgrave, who was married in Oxfordshire in 1566.

Early History of the Colegrave family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Colegrave research. Another 117 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1566, 1610, 1620, 1640, 1663, 1667, 1694, 1717, 1759, 1768 and 1787 are included under the topic Early Colegrave History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Colegrave Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Colgrove, Colgrave, Colegrove, Colegrave and others.

Early Notables of the Colegrave family

Distinguished members of the family include Thomas Colgrave (b. 1640), a well-known lieutenant colonel in the British army; Francis Colegrove (c. 1667-c. 1759), English colonial immigrant, the first...
Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Colegrave Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Colegrave migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Colegrave Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Albert M Colegrave, aged 29, who immigrated to America, in 1909
  • Forest D Colegrave, aged 5, who landed in America, in 1909
  • Mable M Colegrave, aged 29, who settled in America, in 1909
  • Owen A Colegrave, aged 8, who landed in America, in 1909
  • G.Manly Colegrave, aged 26, who immigrated to the United States from Westgate on Sea, England, in 1912
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Colegrave migration to Australia +

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

Colegrave Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Francis Colegrave, (b. 1806), aged 26, English ploughman who was convicted in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, England for 14 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Circassian" on 4th November 1832, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1890 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Colegrave (post 1700) +

  • Mark Colegrave, Canadian realtor and well-known ultra-marathon runner
  • Mark David Colegrave (b. 1968), Australian cricket player from Tasmania who played for the Tasmanian Tigers


The Colegrave 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: Fidei constants
Motto Translation: Steadfast in faith.


  1. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 8th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/circassian


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