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Coughlin History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Coughlin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

The name Coughlin has undergone many variations in the time that has passed since its genesis. In Gaelic it appeared as Mac Cochlain or Ó Cochlain. 1

Early Origins of the Coughlin family

The surname Coughlin was first found in Munster where Dealbha, brother of King Blad of Munster, is the traditional ancestor of this family. There were two different septs which have become known as Coughlan: the MacCoughlans, who dwelled in the barony of Garrycastle in Offaly, and the O'Coughlans, who lived in the baronies of Carbery and Ballymore in Cork. In Cork, they occupied the territories known as the baronies of Carbery and Ballymore.

The MacCoughlans were the more important of the two septs until they dissolved and scattered during the 18th century. They were a Dalcassian sept, and their chief was referred to as Chief of Delvin MacCoughlan. In 1858, they were still recorded as landlords at Cloghan, near Banagher, but they vanished within fifty years. However, the O'Coughlans, who were recorded in large numbers at the time of the 1659 census, still continue to be numerous in those territories. This census shows the prefix O to have been largely discarded by that time. The MacCoghlans lost most of their extensive territories during the Anglo Norman invasion of Ireland by Strongbow in 1172, and lost even more during the Cromwellian Invasion in 1641.

Early History of the Coughlin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Coughlin research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1590 is included under the topic Early Coughlin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coughlin Spelling Variations

Within archives, many different spelling variations exist for the surname Coughlin. Ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in the name of the single person being recorded under several different spellings. Different spellings that were found include Coghlan, Coughlan, MacCoughlan, McCoughlan, Coglan, Couglan, Coughlin and many more.

Early Notables of the Coughlin family

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

Coughlin Ranking

In the United States, the name Coughlin is the 2,581^st most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 2

Coughlin migration to the United States +

North America accepted thousands of Irish immigrants during the 19th century as their homeland suffered under foreign imperialistic rule. Although settlers from the early portion of the century came to North America by choice in search of land, by far the largest influx of Irish immigrants came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Many of these Irish families left the country destitute and in some cases suffering from disease. However, those who survived the long ocean voyage were especially vital to the development of industry in the United States and what would become known as Canada. Research of immigration and passenger lists has shown many early immigrants bearing the name Coughlin:

Coughlin Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Ann Coughlin, who arrived in Maryland in 1679 3

Coughlin Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Margaret Coughlin, who arrived in Virginia in 1725 3

Coughlin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Daniel Coughlin, aged 36, who landed in New York in 1800 3
Ann Coughlin, who settled in New York in 1833
John K Coughlin, aged 24, who landed in Mobile County, Ala in 1837 3
John Coughlin, aged 28, who arrived in Mobile County, Ala in 1840 3
John Coughlin, who arrived in Mobile County, Ala in 1842 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Coughlin migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Coughlin Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

John Coughlin, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1831
Ann Coughlin, aged 26, who landed in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834
John Coughlin, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1843

Coughlin migration to Australia +

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

Coughlin Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Edward Coughlin, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Fairlie" on 9th Mary 1852, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 4
Mary Ann Coughlin, aged 18, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Sea Park"

Contemporary Notables of the name Coughlin (post 1700) +

William Paul "Bill" Coughlin (1878-1943), American Major League Baseball third baseman
Thomas M. "Tom" Coughlin (1949-2016), American businessman, vice chairman of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc who pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud and one count of filing a false tax return
Thomas Richard Coughlin (b. 1946), American football coach, current head coach for the New York Giants, credited with two Super Bowl wins
Roscoe Coughlin (1868-1951), American Major League Baseball player
John Coughlin (b. 1985), American pair skater, 2012 U.S. national champion
Jack Coughlin (b. 1932), American artist
Jack Coughlin (b. 1966), retired Gunnery Sergeant of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and author, recipient of the Bronze Star
Fr. Daniel P. Coughlin STL (b. 1934), 59th Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives (2000 to 2011)
Robert Lawrence Coughlin (1929-2001), Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives
Natalie Anne Coughlin (b. 1982), United States Olympic swimmer, winner of two gold medals, two silver medals in 2004
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Coughlin family +

Grover Shoe factory

Miss Nora Coughlin (b. 1877), American employee of the Grover Shoe factory in Brockton, Massachusetts on 20th March 1905 when the boiler exploded and collapsed the wooden building; she survived but was injured may have passed later 5

The Coughlin 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: Fortis in arduis
Motto Translation: Brave in difficulties.

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, Supplement to Irish Families. Baltimore: Genealogical Book Company, 1964. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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 26th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
California Digital Newspaper from 21st March 1905 (retrieved on 5th August 2021.) Retrieved from https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SFC19050321.2.19&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1