Cosgrave History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

All Irish surnames have a unique and often romantic meaning. The name Cosgrave originally appeared in Gaelic as Mac Coscraigh or Ó Coscraigh, from the word "coscrach," which means victorious. 1

Early Origins of the Cosgrave family

The surname Cosgrave was first found in Leinster, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Cosgrave family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cosgrave research. Another 174 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1000, 1172, 1620 and 1641 are included under the topic Early Cosgrave History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cosgrave Spelling Variations

Individual scribes in the Ireland during the Middle Ages would often record a person's name various ways. How the name was recorded depended on what that particular scribe believed the proper spelling for the name pronounced to him was. Spelling variations revealed in the search for the origin of the Cosgrave family name include Cosgrove, Cosgrave, O'Cosgrove, O'Cosgrave, McCosgrove, McCosgrave and many more.

Early Notables of the Cosgrave family

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

Cosgrave migration to the United States +

In the late 18th century, Irish families began emigrating to North America in the search of a plot of land to call their own. This pattern of emigration grew steadily until the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s cause thousands of Irish to flee the death and disease that accompanied the disaster. Those that made it alive to the shores of the United States and British North America (later to become Canada) were, however, instrumental in the development of those two powerful nations. Many of these Irish immigrants proudly bore the name of Cosgrave:

Cosgrave Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Cosgrave, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1745 2
Michael Cosgrave, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 2

Cosgrave Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Cosgrave, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 2
Bartholemew Cosgrave, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1816 2
James Cosgrave, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 2
John Cosgrave, who arrived in New York in 1822 2
Julia Cosgrave, aged 22, who arrived in New York, NY in 1848 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cosgrave migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cosgrave Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Catherine, Ellen, Francis, Hannah, James, John, Julia, Margaret, Mary, Michael, Owen, Pat, Peter, Thomas, William Cosgrave, who all, who arrived in Quebec in 1848

Cosgrave migration to Australia +

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

Cosgrave Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Cosgrave, (b. 1825), aged 18, Irish convict who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Constant" on 9th May 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Cosgrave (post 1700) +

George Cosgrave (1870-1945), United States federal judge
Michael Joe Cosgrave (1938-2022), Irish Fine Gael politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1977 to 1992 and 1997 to 2002
William Michael "Liam" Cosgrave (1920-2017), Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Taoiseach from 1973 to 1977
Ephraim MacDowel Cosgrave (1847-1925), Irish physician, antiquary and writer
James Cosgrave (b. 1936), Irish nationalist politician
Patrick John Francis Cosgrave (1941-2001), Irish journalist and writer
John B. Cosgrave (b. 1946), Irish mathematician specialising in number theory
Liam Cosgrave (b. 1920), former Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Taoiseach (1973–1977) and as Leader of Fine Gael (1965–1977)
Liam Cosgrave (b. 1920), Irish statesman, son of William Cosgrave, Prime Minister of Ireland (1973-1977)
William Thomas "W.T." Cosgrave (1880-1965), Irish statesman, first President (1922-32) of the Irish Free State
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/constant