Coill History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of Coill

What does the name Coill mean?

The Dalriadan kingdom of ancient Scotland was the home of the ancestors of the Coill family. Their name indicates that they lived in Cullen in the Hebrides.

Early Origins of the Coill family

The surname Coill was first found in Cullen, a burgh, seaport, and parish, in the county of Banff. "This place, the origin of the name of which is altogether uncertain, was originally called Inverculan, being bounded on the north and west by the water of Cullen, which falls into the sea on the western side of the parish; and in ancient times it formed part of the parish of Fordyce. Its early history is for the most part involved in obscurity; but there appears to be no reason to doubt the truth of the tradition, that a severe conflict took place here between the Danes and the Scots under Indulfus, in the year 960. The king was killed by an arrow at the head of his troops; but the enemy were completely routed." 1

Cull or Coll are literally derived from the Celtic "dweller at a wood [Gaelic and Irish coill]." 2

Early History of the Coill family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Coill research. Another 133 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1424, 1435 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Coill History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coill Spelling Variations

Translation in medieval times was an undeveloped science and was often carried out without due care. For this reason, many early Scottish names appeared radically altered when written in English. The spelling variations of Coill include Cull, Coll, Coole, Cula, Codolf and others.

Early Notables of the Coill family

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

Migration of the Coill family to Ireland

Some of the Coill family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Coill family

The descendants of the Dalriadan families who made the great crossing of the Atlantic still dot communities along the east coast of the United States and Canada. In the American War of Independence, many of the settlers traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Clan societies and highland games have allowed Canadian and American families of Scottish descent to recover much of their lost heritage. Investigation of the origins of family names on the North American continent has revealed that early immigrants bearing the name Coill or a variant listed above include: Passenger lists show the "Children of Colla" settled in Virginia and New England in 1737. The Irish Culls came somewhat later as a result of the potato famines in the 1800'.

The Coill 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: Per mare per terras
Motto Translation: By sea and by land.

Sources +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print