Cowgill History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

A family in the Pictish tribe of ancient Scotland was the first to use the name Cowgill. They lived in the lands of Cargill in east Perthshire where the family at one time had extensive territories.

Early Origins of the Cowgill family

The surname Cowgill was first found in East Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland. Cargill is a parish containing, with the villages of Burreltown, Wolfhill, and Woodside.

"This place, of which the name, of Celtic origin, signifies a village with a church, originally formed a portion of the parish of Cupar-Angus, from which, according to ancient records, it was separated prior to the year 1514." 1

Some of the first records of the family include Walter de Kergyl who witnessed a quitclaim of the land of Drumkerauch in 1260, Bernard de Kergylle who received a gift of the lands of Leisington from William de Munificheth in 1283, and Iwyn de Garghille of the county of Strivelyn and Wauter de Kergille of the county of Perth who rendered homage in 1296 to King Edward I of England. Bernard de Kergylle had a confirmation charter of the lands of Culmelly and of Ald Culmelly in the barony of Cusseny (Cushnie) in 1374 and William de Kergill was granted a charter in favor of the Friars Preachers of Aberdeen in 1401. Symon Cargyl held part of Kethyk in 1457 and was tenant of Park of Newbyggyn, 1473. 2

Further to the south in England, Cowgill is an ecclesiastical district, in the parochial chapelry of Dent, parish and union of Sedbergh in the West Riding of Yorkshire. 3

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Johannes de Colgyll and Alicia de Colgyll as holding lands there at that time. 4

In 1481 a letter of denisation was issued to John Kergyll, clerk, a Scotsman living in Kent. 2

Early History of the Cowgill family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cowgill research. Another 198 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1283, 1457, 1497, 1498, 1580, 1585, 1605, 1619, 1638, 1643, 1681, 1685 and 1859 are included under the topic Early Cowgill History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cowgill Spelling Variations

In medieval Scotland, names were more often spelled according to sound than any regular set of rules. An enormous number of spelling variations were the result. Over the years, the name Cowgill has been spelled Cargill, Cargille, Carnigill, Cargile, Kergylle, Cargyle, Carrigle, McGirl and many more.

Early Notables of the Cowgill family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Donald Cargill (1619-1681), a Scottish Covenanter from Rattray, Blairgowrie who worked to uphold the principles of the National Covenant of 1638 and Solemn League and Covenant of 1643. He was sentenced to...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cowgill Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cowgill Ranking

In the United States, the name Cowgill is the 9,048^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Cowgill family to Ireland

Some of the Cowgill family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cowgill migration to the United States +

In such difficult times, Ireland, Australia, and North America looked like better homes for many Scots. The trips were expensive and grueling, but also rewarding, as the colonies were havens for those unwelcome in the old country. That legacy did not die easily, though, and many were forced to fight for their freedom in the American War of Independence. The Scottish legacy has resurface in more recent times, though, through Clan societies, highland games, and other organizations. Immigration and passenger lists have shown many early immigrants bearing the old Scottish name of Cowgill:

Cowgill Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Ralph Cowgill, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682 6
Ellen Cowgill, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1682 6
Jane Cowgill, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1682 6
Mary Cowgill, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1682 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Cowgill (post 1700) +

Collin Brannen Cowgill (b. 1986), American Major League Baseball outfielder
Warren Cowgill (1929-1985), American professor of linguistics at Yale University and the Encyclopædia Britannica’s authority on Indo-European linguistics
Ursula Moser Cowgill (b. 1927), American biologist and anthropologist
George L. Cowgill (b. 1929), American anthropologist and archaeologist
John A. Cowgill, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Supervisor of Warren Township, Michigan, 1933 7
James Cowgill (1848-1922), American Democratic Party politician, Missouri State Treasurer, 1909-13; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Missouri, 1916; Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, 1918-22 7
James Cowgill, American politician, Postmaster at Dover, Delaware, 1841-45 7
Ira V. Cowgill, American Democratic Party politician, Chair of Hampshire County Democratic Party, 1917; Candidate for West Virginia State Senate 15th District, 1926 7
Duane Cowgill, American politician, Mayor of Marshall, Michigan; Elected 2004 7
Cary E. Cowgill (1843-1914), American Republican politician, Member of Indiana State House of Representatives, 1873; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Indiana, 1904 7
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Cowgill 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: Domino confido
Motto Translation: Confide in the Lord.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html