Ocoklan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of Ocoklan

What does the name Ocoklan mean?

The name Ocoklan has undergone many variations in the time that has passed since its genesis. In Gaelic it appeared as Mac Cochlain or Ó Cochlain. 1

Early Origins of the Ocoklan family

The surname Ocoklan was first found in Munster where Dealbha, brother of King Blad of Munster, is the traditional ancestor of this family. There were two different septs which have become known as Coughlan: the MacCoughlans, who dwelled in the barony of Garrycastle in Offaly, and the O'Coughlans, who lived in the baronies of Carbery and Ballymore in Cork. In Cork, they occupied the territories known as the baronies of Carbery and Ballymore.

The MacCoughlans were the more important of the two septs until they dissolved and scattered during the 18th century. They were a Dalcassian sept, and their chief was referred to as Chief of Delvin MacCoughlan. In 1858, they were still recorded as landlords at Cloghan, near Banagher, but they vanished within fifty years. However, the O'Coughlans, who were recorded in large numbers at the time of the 1659 census, still continue to be numerous in those territories. This census shows the prefix O to have been largely discarded by that time. The MacCoghlans lost most of their extensive territories during the Anglo Norman invasion of Ireland by Strongbow in 1172, and lost even more during the Cromwellian Invasion in 1641.

Early History of the Ocoklan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ocoklan research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1590 is included under the topic Early Ocoklan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ocoklan Spelling Variations

Lacking standardized spellings, scribes and church officials recorded people's name according to how they sounded. This practice often led to the misleading result of one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname Ocoklan are preserved in the archival documents of the period. The various spellings of the name that were found include Coghlan, Coughlan, MacCoughlan, McCoughlan, Coglan, Couglan, Coughlin and many more.

Early Notables of the Ocoklan family

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

Migration of the Ocoklan family

Suffering from poverty and racial discrimination, thousands of Irish families left the island in the 19th century for North America aboard cramped passenger ships. The early migrants became settlers of small tracts of land, and those that came later were often employed in the new cities or transitional work camps. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. Although the immigrants from this period were often maligned when they arrived in the United States, they provided the cheap labor that was necessary for the development of that country as an industrial power. Early immigration and passenger lists have revealed many immigrants bearing the name Ocoklan: Francis Coghlan settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1879; James Coghlan settled in New York in 1812; James Coghlin settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1766.

The Ocoklan 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: Fortis in arduis
Motto Translation: Brave in difficulties.

Sources +

MacLysaght, Edward, Supplement to Irish Families. Baltimore: Genealogical Book Company, 1964. Print.