Costagan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

While the Anglicized versions of Irish names are familiar to most people, many Irish names have a long and proud Gaelic heritage that is often unknown. The original Gaelic form of the name Costagan is Mac Oistigin which is probably derived from the pet form of the English name Roger, which is Hodgkin. 1

Early Origins of the Costagan family

The surname Costagan was first found in Leix (Irish: Laois) formerly known as Queen's County, located in central Ireland, in Leinster Province, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

The family descend through the Fitzpatrick, Princes of Ossary, line and are listed 121st in that genealogy.

"Geoffrey Baccach: his son, had a brother named Ostagan: ("osda:" Irish a host; "gan" without), a quo "Clan Ostagain," Anglicised Costigan." 2

Early History of the Costagan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Costagan research. Another 49 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1039 is included under the topic Early Costagan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Costagan 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 Costagan family name include Costigan, Costigen, Costigin, McCostigan and others.

Early Notables of the Costagan family

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

Costagan migration to the United States +

Irish families began to immigrate to British North America and the United States in the 18th century, but the greatest influx of Irish immigrants came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. The earlier settlers came to North America after a great deal of consideration and by paying relatively high fees for their passage. These settlers were primarily drawn by the promise of land. Those later settlers that came during the 1840's were trying to escape the conditions of poverty, starvation, disease, and death that had stricken Ireland. Due to the enormity of their numbers and the late date of their arrival, these immigrants primarily became hired laborers instead of homesteading settlers like their predecessors. An exhaustive search of immigration and passenger lists has revealed many Irish immigrants North America bearing the name Costagan:

Costagan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Julia De Costagan, aged 55, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1829 3

Costagan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Costagan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

James Costagan, who landed in Halifax or New York in 1811

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, Supplement to Irish Families. Baltimore: Genealogical Book Company, 1964. Print.
O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
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)