O'Coyle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of O'Coyle

What does the name O'Coyle mean?

The Irish name O'Coyle was originally written in a Gaelic form as Mac Giolla Chomhgaill, denoting a devotee of St. Comgal.

Early Origins of the O'Coyle family

The surname O'Coyle was first found in Donegal (Irish: Dún na nGall), northwest Ireland in the province of Ulster, sometimes referred to as County Tyrconnel, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the O'Coyle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our O'Coyle research. Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the year 1641 is included under the topic Early O'Coyle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

O'Coyle Spelling Variations

The Middle Ages saw a great number of spelling variations for surnames common to the Irish landscape. One reason for these variations is the fact that surnames were not rigidly fixed by this period because the general population had to rely on local official's understanding of how their name should be spelt, hence spellings in records often changed through a person's lifetime. The following variations for the name O'Coyle were encountered in the archives: Coyle, Coyl, Coyles, M'Illhoyle, Coile, Coil, M'Coyle, O'Coyle, Coiles, Coyls, Coils, Koyle, Koyles, Koyl, Koill, Koiles, Coylle, Coylles and many more.

Early Notables of the O'Coyle family

Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early O'Coyle Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the O'Coyle family

Ireland became inhospitable for many native Irish families in the 19th centuries. Poverty, lack of opportunities, high rents, and discrimination forced thousands to leave the island for North America. The largest exodus of Irish settlers occurred with the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. For these immigrants the journey to British North America and the United States was long and dangerous and many did not live to see the shores of those new lands. Those who did make it were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest and most powerful nations of the world. These Irish immigrants were not only important for peopling the new settlements and cities, they also provided the manpower needed for the many industrial and agricultural projects so essential to these growing nations. Immigration and passenger lists have documented the arrival of various people bearing the name O'Coyle to North America: Alexander, Andrew, Bernard, Daniel, Edward, Francis, Hugh, James, John, Michael, Patrick, Peter, Thomas, and William Coyle, who all arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1820 and 1870.