Show ContentsMcCosh History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the McCosh family

The surname McCosh was first found in on the Isle of Uist, in the Hebrides in Scotland, which is named for the Irish King, Colla Uais who was deposed in Ireland by Muedach Tireach and was banished with 300 of their principal chiefs to the Hebrides in 327 A.D. They became known as the kingdom of Ailech and gave birth to the kindred of St. Columba and the Abbots of Iona. Descended were the Kings of Scotland from 1034 to 1286. The MacDonalds, Kings of the Isles were descended through Somerled to MacCuish or MacCooish.

Early History of the McCosh family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McCosh research. Another 113 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McCosh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCosh Spelling Variations

Many spelling variations of McCosh have been recorded over the years, including MacCuish, MacCooish, MacCuis, MacCoise, MacKewish, MacKewsh and many more.

Early Notables of the McCosh family

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


United States McCosh migration to the United States +

Scottish settlers arrived in many of the communities that became the backbones of the United States and Canada. Many stayed, but some headed west for the endless open country of the prairies. In the American War of Independence, many Scots who remained loyal to the Crown re-settled in Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Scots across North America were able to recover much of their lost heritage in the 20th century as Clan societies and highland games sprang up across North America. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first McCoshs to arrive on North American shores:

McCosh Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Joseph McCosh, who landed in South Carolina in 1813 1
  • Agnes McCosh, who arrived in New York in 1854 1

New Zealand McCosh migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

McCosh Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Rev. James McCosh, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Helenslee" arriving in Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand on 28th May 1871 2

Contemporary Notables of the name McCosh (post 1700) +

  • James McCosh (1811-1894), Scottish philosopher, a prominent philosopher of the Scottish School of Common Sense, President of Princeton University 1868-1888, eponym of McCosh Hall, Princeton
  • Shayne McCosh (b. 1974), retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman, brother of Shawn McCosh
  • Shawn M. McCosh (b. 1969), retired Canadian former professional NHL ice hockey player who played from 1991 to 1995


  1. 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)
  2. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


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