Show ContentsCooulston History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the bearers of the Cooulston family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in either Colston Basset, which is in Carcolston in Nottinghamshire, or in Coulston, which lies in the county of Wiltshire. 1 The surname Cooulston often belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. However, the name Cooulston is also often a patronymic surname derived from the Old English name Colstan or the Old Norse name Kolstein.

Early Origins of the Cooulston family

The surname Cooulston was first found in Nottinghamshire at Colston, now known as Colston Basset. The first record of the family was John de Colston who was listed here 20 Edward I. Some of the family were found in Yorkshire in early times. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list William Colstan and later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls list Johannes Colstane. 1

As one would expect with listings so close to the Scottish border, Colston is near Bishopriggs, Lanarkshire, and Colstoun is found in East Lothian. However, the name is rare in Scotland. "Robert Colston, a Scotsman, had a safe conduct in England in 1465 and James Colston was an Edinburgh magistrate and local historian." 2

Early History of the Cooulston family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cooulston research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1636, 1672, 1708, 1713, 1719 and 1721 are included under the topic Early Cooulston History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cooulston Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Cooulston include Coulston, Colston and others.

Early Notables of the Cooulston family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir Richard Coulston of Roundway; Edward Colston (1636-1721), a Bristol-born English merchant, philanthropist and Member of Parliament, eponym of the Colston bun, made of a yeast dough that is...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cooulston Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cooulston family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Cooulston or a variant listed above: John Colston who settled in Virginia in 1653; Joseph Colston settled in New England in 1670; Francis Coulston settled in Virginia in 1656; Thomas Coulston arrived in New England in 1755..



  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. 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)


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