Contents [hide]

Coe History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Coe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The origins of the Coe surname date from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name originated with an early member who was a jackdaw. Checking further we found the name was derived from the Old English word coo. This was in turn derived from the Old Norse word ka, which was their word for jackdaw. Thus the original bearer of this name must have reminded his contemporaries of a jackdaw and was referred to as "Coe" as a nickname.

Early Origins of the Coe family

The surname Coe was first found in Lancashire, where the Coe family held a family seat from ancient times. The earliest known bearer of the name was Osbert Ka, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire in 1188.

Early History of the Coe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Coe research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1188, 1221, 1783 and 1860 are included under the topic Early Coe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coe Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Coe has been recorded under many different variations, including Coe, Coes, Cowe, Kow, Cawe, Kowe, Coo, Ku, Koo and others.

Early Notables of the Coe family

Distinguished members of the family include

John Herbert Koe (1783-1860), a prominent British judge, and several members of the Coe family of Lancashire

Coe Ranking

In the United States, the name Coe is the 2,355^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Coe family to Ireland

Some of the Coe 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.

Coe migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Coe or a variant listed above:

Coe Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Coe, who arrived in Jamestown, Va in 1607 2
Robert Coe, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1634 2
Robert Coe, who sailed from Ipswich to Watertown on the ship Francis in 1634
Mrs. Jane Coe, aged 30, who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Susan and Ellin" 2
Robert Coe (1596–1689), an early English settler to America in 1635 from Thorpe-Morieux, Suffolk
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Coe Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Coe, aged 52, who landed in New York in 1711-1712 2
Anthony Coe, who landed in America in 1760-1763 2

Coe Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joshua Coe, who landed in America in 1811 2
John Earnst Coe, who arrived in Maryland in 1828 2
Robert T Coe, who arrived in Arkansas in 1898 2

Coe migration to Australia +

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

Coe Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Coe, (b. 1806), aged 20, British Convict who was convicted in Essex, England for 14 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Earl St Vincent" on 20th April 1826, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3
Mr. John Coe, (b. 1811), aged 17, English tailor's apprentice who was convicted in Kilkenny, Ireland for 7 years for robbery, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 25th June 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
Mr. Matthew Coe, British convict who was convicted in Norfolk, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 29th September 1831, settling in New South Wales, Australia 5
Mr. Daniel Coe, (b. 1812), aged 21, English butcher who was convicted in Essex, England for life for house breaking, transported aboard the "Enchantress"on 6th April 1833, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1887 6
Mr. Lionel Coe, British convict who was convicted in Norwich, Norfolk, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "England" on 6th June 1835, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Coe 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:

Coe Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. James Coe, British labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Victory " arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 17th October 1863 8
Henry Coe, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Berar" in 1865
Hannah Coe, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Berar" in 1865
George Coe, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Berar" in 1865
Elizabeth Coe, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Berar" in 1865
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Coe (post 1700) +

Henry H. R. Coe (1946-2021), American politician, Member of the Wyoming Senate (1989-2021)
Douglas Evans Coe (1928-2017), American associate director of the Christian organization, The Fellowship
George Coe (1929-2015), born George Julian Cohen, an American Academy Award nominated film, stage and television actor, known for his roles in Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), Blind Date (1987) and The Entity (1982)
Wesley Coe (1879-1926), American Olympic sliver medalist for shot put at the 1904 games
Christine Sadler Coe (1902-1983), American author, journalist, and magazine editor
Michael Douglas Coe (b. 1929), American archaeologist, anthropologist, epigrapher and author
William Rogers Coe (1901-1971), American Vice-President and Treasurer of the Virginian Railway Company
Barry S. Coe (b. 1934), American actor
Benjamin Coe, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly, 1778-79, 1797-99 9
Benjamin Coe, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Queens County, 1777-84, 1804-06; Member of New York State Senate Southern District, 1806-12 9
... (Another 63 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Coe family +

HMS Repulse

Mr. Herbert William Coe, British Ordinary Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 10

RMS Titanic

Mr. Harry Coe (d. 1912), aged 21, English Trimmer from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 11

St. Francis Dam

Mr. Homer C. Coe, American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928
Mrs. Nora F. Coe, (nee Hanson), American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928
Mr. Kenneth Homer Coe, American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928

Citations +

"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 14th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-st-vincent
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1831
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/enchantress
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html