Contents [hide]

Cushing History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Cushing History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The proud Norman name of Cushing was developed in England soon after Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It was name for a person who was related to someone of note in the area. Further research showed the name was derived from the Old French, cusin, and the Old English, cousin, which means relative. 1

Early Origins of the Cushing family

The surname Cushing was first found in Norfolk and in the southern counties of England, where the first on record appears to be Roger Cusin, listed in the Pipe Rolls in that county in 1166. Robert Cusyn and his wife Joan were landowners in Ellisfield, Hampshire during the Reign of Henry III (1216-1272). Peter Cusin was a sheriff of London in 1273. A Galfridus Cusyn of Hardingham, Norfolk is mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls for that county in 1327. 2

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 lists: Johannes Cosyn, tiropour; Ricardus Cosyn; and Alicia Cosyn, 1379. 2

Early History of the Cushing family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cushing research. Another 51 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1535, 1541, 1547, 1549, 1558, 1585, 1594, 1597, 1672, 1697, 1743 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Cushing History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cushing Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Cushing were recorded, including Cousin, Cousins, Cozens, Cossins, Couzins, Cossens, Cosin, Cosyns, Cousens, Couzens, Cossins, Cosin and many more.

Early Notables of the Cushing family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Edmund Cosin, Vice Chancellor of Cambridge University in 1558. He was "a native of Bedfordshire, entered King's Hall, Cambridge, as a bible clerk; proceeded B.A. early in 1535, M.A. in 1541, and B.D. in 1547." 3Benjamin Cosyn, probably a son of John Cosyn, who in 1585 published sixty psalms in six parts in plain counterpoint. He was eminent as a composer of lessons for virginals. Many of his pieces are extant. He flourished in the first half of the 17th century.John Cosin (1594-1672), was an English churchman...
Another 95 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cushing Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cushing Ranking

In the United States, the name Cushing is the 4,908^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Cushing family to Ireland

Some of the Cushing family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 69 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cushing migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Cushing arrived in North America very early:

Cushing Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Theophilus Cushing, who landed in Boston aboard the ship "Griffin", bound for Hingham, Massachusetts in 1633 5
Mathew Cushing, who arrived in Hingham, Massachusetts in 1638 5
Matthew Cushing, who arrived in Hingham, Massachusetts in 1638 5
Mrs. Nazareth Pitcher Cushing, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Dilligent" arriving in Boston, Massachusetts in 1638 6
Mr. Daniel Cushing, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Dilligent" arriving in Boston, Massachusetts in 1638 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cushing Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Elijah Cushing, who landed in Mississippi in 1798 5

Cushing Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Cushing, aged 29, who arrived in New York in 1812 5
Charles Cushing, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1813 5
Patrick Cushing, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) C,ounty, Pennsylvania in 1849 5
C Cushing, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 5
E Cushing, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cushing migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cushing Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Job Cushing, who arrived in Anapolis (Annapolis), Nova Scotia in 1760
Jobe Cushing, who landed in Anapolis (Annapolis), Nova Scotia in 1760

Contemporary Notables of the name Cushing (post 1700) +

Harvey Williams Cushing (1869-1939), American pioneering neurosurgeon, the first person to describe Cushing's syndrome, often called the "father of modern neurosurgery"; in retirement he authored the Pulitzer prize-winning biography, Life of Sir William Osler (1925)
Robert Reynolds Cushing (1952-2022), American Democratic politician, Member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives (2020-2022)
Frank Hamilton Cushing (1857-1900), American anthropologist and ethnologist
Thomas Cushing III (1725-1788), American lawyer, merchant, and statesman, 1st Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts (1780-1788)
William Orcutt Cushing (1823-1902), American Unitarian minister and hymn writer
Commander William Barker Cushing (1842-1874), American officer in the United States Navy, best known for sinking the Confederate ironclad CSS Albemarle on 27 October 1864, for which he received the Thanks of Congress
Stephen Booth Cushing (1812-1868), American lawyer and politician, New York State Attorney General (1856-1857)
Richard James Cushing (1895-1970), American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, Archbishop of Boston from 1944 to 1970
Grafton Dulany Cushing (1864-1939), American politician, the 45th Lieutenant Governor for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from 1915 to 1916
First Lieutenant Alonzo Hersford Cushing (1841-1863), American artillery officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War, to be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2014
... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"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)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved October 6th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm