Coough History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The family name Coough is one of the oldest Anglo-Saxon names of Britain. It was originally a name for a person who worked as a cook, a seller of cooked meats, or a keeper of an eating-house. The surname Coough is derived from the Old English word coc, which means cook. 1 2

Early Origins of the Coough family

The surname Coough was first found in Essex where the first found record the name was Aelfsige Coc (c.950) who is recorded in an early reference of Anglo Saxon Wills, 3 more than one hundred years before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066.

Galter Coc was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 in Essex and almost two hundred years later, Walter le Kuc was listed in the Assize Rolls of Cheshire in 1260. Continuing the quest, we found Richard Cok in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1269, Henry Coke in the Assize Rolls of Somerset in 1279, Ralph le Cook and Joan Cokes in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296. Robert le Couk was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327 and Roger le Kokes in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1332. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed John Cocus in Norfolk, Alexander Cocus in Yorkshire, Emma Coca in Cambridgeshire and Matthew Cocus in Oxfordshire. 2

Ireby in Lancashire was home to another branch of the family. "This place is written 'Irebi' in the Domesday Survey, and then comprehended three carucates of land. In the reign of James I., lived Thomas Cooke de Irebye. The family of Cooke were the former possessors of the Hall, sometimes called Fothergill Hall, and sometimes Nether Hall." 4

Early History of the Coough family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Coough research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1561, 1583, 1598, 1608, 1616, 1637, 1640, 1641, 1642, 1643, 1648, 1659, 1660, 1663, 1672, 1683, 1700, 1701, 1715, 1717, 1721, 1734, 1752, 1757, 1758, 1793, 1797, 1802, 1814 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Coough History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coough Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Coough include Cooke, Cook, Cocus and others.

Early Notables of the Coough family

Notables of this surname at this time include: John Cooke (or John Cook, John Coke, 1608-1660), the first Solicitor General of the English Commonwealth and led the prosecution of Charles I; Francis Cooke (1583-1663), one of the 102 passengers on the Mayflower; Captain Henry Cooke (c.1616-1672), an English composer, actor and singer, Gentleman of the Chapel Royal and joined the Royalist cause, Master of the Children of the Chapel Royal (1660-1672); Sir William Cooke of Highnam; his son, Sir Robert Cooke (c. 1598-1643), an English politician Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire (1640) and Tewkesbury (1641-1643); his son, Edward Cooke (died 1683)...
Another 143 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Coough Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Coough family to Ireland

Some of the Coough family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 99 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Coough family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Chas Cook who settled in Nova Scotia in 1749 with his wife, son and daughter; Christn Cook who settled in Nova Scotia with his wife, son, 2 daughters and servant in 1749.

Citations +

Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.