Cawe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Cawe

What does the name Cawe mean?

The earliest origins of the family name Cawe date back to the Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It was a name given to a jackdaw. Checking further we found the name was derived from the Old English word coo. This was in turn derived from the Old Norse word ka, which was their word for jackdaw. Thus the original bearer of this name must have reminded his contemporaries of a jackdaw and was referred to as "Cawe" as a nickname.

Early Origins of the Cawe family

The surname Cawe was first found in Lancashire, where the Cawe family held a family seat from ancient times. The earliest known bearer of the name was Osbert Ka, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire in 1188.

Early History of the Cawe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cawe research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1188, 1221, 1783 and 1860 are included under the topic Early Cawe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cawe Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Cawe include Coe, Coes, Cowe, Kow, Cawe, Kowe, Coo, Ku, Koo and others.

Early Notables of the Cawe family

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

Migration of the Cawe family to Ireland

Some of the Cawe family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cawe family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Robert Coe, who sailed from Ipswich to Watertown on the ship Francis in 1634; Matthew Coe, who emigrated from Bristol to Portsmouth in the year 1640; Alester Cowe, who arrived in Boston, Massachussets in 1652.