Show ContentsCoughenour History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Coughenour originally descend from Cobthach Fionn, a quo O Cobhthaigh, where "cobthach" means "victorious" and "fionn" means "fair," combined to mean "the fairhaired victor." [1]

Early Origins of the Coughenour family

The surname Coughenour was first found in County Cork, Roscommon and Meath, where the claim descent from the Irish monarch, Luy Mac Con, from the line of Ithe Kings, ancestor of Cobthach Fion, who in turn was the ancestor of the name Coffey or Caughey (both pronounced the same way). The O'Coffeys of Corcaloidhe are kin of the O'Driscolls, and are still common in southwest County Cork today.

Early History of the Coughenour family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Coughenour research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1580, 1700, 1729, 1745, 1857 and 1916 are included under the topic Early Coughenour History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coughenour Spelling Variations

The recording of names in Ireland in the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best due to competing dialects and languages, and the general illiteracy of the population. Research into the name Coughenour revealed many spelling variations, including Coffey, Caughey, Coffie, Coughey, Cauffey, Cauffy, Cauffie, Coffy, Coughay, Coffay, Coffeye and many more.

Early Notables of the Coughenour family

Notable among the family name at this time was Dermot O'Coffey (fl. 1580), the Gaelic poet.Charles Coffey of Leinster (1700-1745), was an Irish dramatist, actor and composer, a 'native of Ireland,' is first heard of in Dublin. In Dublin...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Coughenour Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Coughenour family

Ireland experienced a dramatic decrease in its population during the late 19th century. This was in a great measure, a response to England's imperialistic policies. Hunger and disease took the lives of many Irish people and many more chose to leave their homeland to escape such hunger and disease. North America with its promise of work, freedom, and land was an extremely popular destination for Irish families. For those families that survived the journey, all three of these things were were often attained through much hard work and perseverance. Research into early immigration and passenger lists revealed many immigrants bearing the name Coughenour: Barney, James, John, Michael and Patrick Coffey who all settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1854 and 1868; Michael Coffey settled in Quebec in 1848.


Contemporary Notables of the name Coughenour (post 1700) +

  • Tad Coughenour, American actor and assistant director, known for his work in Redwoods (2009), Ave 43 (2009) and Confessions of an Action Star (2005)
  • Jay Coughenour, American Finance Professor at the University of Delaware
  • John C. Coughenour (b. 1941), American U.S. District Court Judge who appointed by Ronald Reagan in 1981
  • Dean Coughenour, American politician, Mayor of Manhattan, Kansas, 1976-77 [2]


The Coughenour 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: Non providentia sed victoria
Motto Translation: No victory without foresight


  1. O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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