Cosgriff History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

All Irish surnames have a unique and often romantic meaning. The name Cosgriff originally appeared in Gaelic as Mac Coscraigh or Ó Coscraigh, from the word "coscrach," which means victorious. 1

Early Origins of the Cosgriff family

The surname Cosgriff was first found in Leinster, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Cosgriff family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cosgriff research. Another 174 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1000, 1172, 1620 and 1641 are included under the topic Early Cosgriff History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cosgriff Spelling Variations

The archives that survive today demonstrate the difficulty experienced by the scribes of the Middle Ages in their attempts to record these names in writing. Spelling variations of the name Cosgriff dating from that time include Cosgrove, Cosgrave, O'Cosgrove, O'Cosgrave, McCosgrove, McCosgrave and many more.

Early Notables of the Cosgriff family

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

Cosgriff migration to the United States +

In the 18th and 19th centuries, thousands of Irish families fled an Ireland that was forcibly held through by England through its imperialistic policies. A large portion of these families crossed the Atlantic to the shores of North America. The fate of these families depended on when they immigrated and the political allegiances they showed after they arrived. Settlers that arrived before the American War of Independence may have moved north to Canada at the war's conclusion as United Empire Loyalists. Such Loyalists were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Those that fought for the revolution occasionally gained the land that the fleeing Loyalist vacated. After this period, free land and an agrarian lifestyle were not so easy to come by in the East. So when seemingly innumerable Irish immigrants arrived during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s, free land for all was out of the question. These settlers were instead put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Whenever they came, Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name Cosgriff or a variant listed above, including:

Cosgriff Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Cosgriff, who arrived in New York in 1830 2

Cosgriff Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Edna Cosgriff, aged 7, originally from Taram, Galway, arrived in New York in 1905 aboard the ship "Cedric" from Queenstown, Ireland 3
Kate Cosgriff, aged 30, originally from Taram, Galway, arrived in New York in 1905 aboard the ship "Cedric" from Queenstown, Ireland 3
James Cosgriff, aged 38, arrived in New York in 1907 aboard the ship "Havana" from Havana, Cuba 3
Pat Cosgriff, aged 19, originally from Welton Cliff, England, arrived in New York in 1908 aboard the ship "Cedric" from Liverpool, England 3
John Leo Cosgriff, aged 28, originally from Liverpool, England, arrived in New York City, New York in 1918 aboard the ship "Canada" from Liverpool, England 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cosgriff migration to Australia +

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

Cosgriff Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mary Cosgriff, aged 18, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Standard" 4

Cosgriff 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:

Cosgriff Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Patrick Cosgriff, aged 19, a labourer, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Hannibal" in 1875

Contemporary Notables of the name Cosgriff (post 1700) +

Walter E. Cosgriff (1914-1961), American banker who served as the chairman of the Continental Bank and Trust Company and later president of the Bank of Las Vegas
Richard H. Cosgriff Sr. (1845-1910), American Union Army soldier in the American Civil War
Jeff Cosgriff (b. 1987), American soccer player
Joe Cosgriff (1913-2008), Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne in 1932

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
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)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) STANDARD 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/standard1852.shtml