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![Show Contents]() O'Cowhy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Ireland
The name O'Cowhy originally descend from Cobthach Fionn, a quo Ó Cobhthaigh, where "cobthach" means "victorious" and "fionn" means "fair," combined to mean "the fairhaired victor." 1 Early Origins of the O'Cowhy familyThe surname O'Cowhy 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 O'Cowhy familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our O'Cowhy research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1580, 1700, 1729, 1745, 1857 and 1916 are included under the topic Early O'Cowhy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. O'Cowhy Spelling VariationsPronunciation, rather than spelling, was what guided scribes and church officials in recording names, a practice that often led to the misleading result of one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname O'Cowhy are preserved in documents that were examined for evidence of the family's history. The various spellings of O'Cowhy included Coffey, Caughey, Coffie, Coughey, Cauffey, Cauffy, Cauffie, Coffy, Coughay, Coffay, Coffeye and many more. Early Notables of the O'Cowhy familyNotable 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 O'Cowhy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the O'Cowhy familyIn the 18th and 19th centuries, hundreds of thousands of Irish immigrants landed on North American shores. Although many of them were merely looking for a free plot of land and living of their very own, many later immigrants were desperately fleeing an overcrowded land that did not have sufficient food for its inhabitants. The exodus from Ireland was greatest during the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine had stricken the island. Although this large influx of Irish was unpopular with the great majority of people already established within the major centers, these Irish were critical to the speedy development of the United States and those colonies that would eventually become known as Canada. These immigrants provided the cheap labor required to build modern roads, bridges, canals, and railways. Research of passenger and immigration lists has shown a number of immigrants to North America baring the name of O'Cowhy: Barney, James, John, Michael and Patrick Coffey who all settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1854 and 1868; Michael Coffey settled in Quebec in 1848.
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
- O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
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