Contents [hide]

Cusack History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Sources

Cusack History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
England

Etymology of Cusack

What does the name Cusack mean?

When the Anglo-Normans began to settle in Ireland, they brought the tradition of local surnames to an island which already had a Gaelic naming system of hereditary surnames established. Unlike the Irish, the Anglo-Normans had an affinity for local surnames. Local surnames, such as Cusack, were formed from the name of a place or a geographical landmark. Often, these place names were prefixed by "de," which means "from" in French: in later years, the prefix sometimes became joined to the name, or was sometimes dropped. The Cusack family name is thought to have come from any of several places named Cussac in France; such as Cussac in Guienne (Guyenne), Cussac in Limousin, or from Cussac in Auvergne. These place names are thought to derive from Cucius or Cussius, a Romano-Gallic personal name, along with the suffix "-acum." After the name came to Ireland, it took on the Gaelic form Ciomhsóg. However, in the county of Clare, the Gaelic form of the name is Mac Iosóg.

Early Origins of the Cusack family

The surname Cusack was first found in County Meath (Irish: An Mhí) anciently part of the kingdom of Brega, located in Eastern Ireland, in the province of Leinster, where Jeoffrey Le Cusack was first recorded. He was named after a town of that name in France and came to Ireland shortly after the English invasion. Adam Cusack, his grandson "slew William Barret and his brothers in Connaught, on account of a quarrel about lands " in 1282. 1

Walter de Cusack (c.1270- 1334) was an Anglo-Irish judge, magnate and military commander of the fourteenth century. He was a younger son of Sir Andrew Cusack of Gerrardstown, County Meath. Nicholas Cusack, Bishop of Kildare (1279-1299), was a cousin.

Another reference has a slightly different twist on the origin in France. In this reference, the name "is derived from a place in Guienne, France, and was first anglicized as de Cussac." 2 Whichever origin is true, the occurrence of the name in England was indeed rare.

Early History of the Cusack family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cusack research. Another 194 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1211, 1280, 1300, 1409, 1415, 1490, 1496, 1541, 1542, 1550, 1551, 1571, 1687, 1770, 1788 and 1861 are included under the topic Early Cusack History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cusack Spelling Variations

It was found during an investigation of the origins of the name Cusack that church officials and medieval scribes often spelled the name as it sounded. This practice lead to a single person's being documented under many spelling variations. The name Cusack has existed in the various shapes: Cusack, Cusacke, Cussack, Cossack, Cosack, Cewsack, Ceusack, Cowsack, Coussack, Cussach, Cussache, Cussoch, Coussack, M'Cusack, Cussick and many more.

Early Notables of the Cusack family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was

Thomas Cusack was Mayor of Dublin in 1409; and Sir Thomas Cusack, who fought as a lancer at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415
Thomas Cusack, Cusack or de Cusack (died c.1496) was an Irish barrister and judge who held the offices of Attorney General for Ireland and Lord Chief Justice of Ireland. Sir Thomas Cusack (1490-1571)...

Cusack Ranking

In the United States, the name Cusack is the 9,719^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Cusack migration to the United States +

Irish immigration to North American began in the late 18th century as many Irish families desired to own their own land. This pattern of immigration grew slowly yet steadily until the 1840s. At that time, a failed crop and a growing population in Ireland resulted in the Great Potato Famine. Poverty, disease, and starvation ravaged the land. To ease their pain and suffering the Irish often looked upon North America as a solution: hundreds of thousands undertook the voyage. Their arrival meant the growth of industry and commerce for British North America and the United States. For the individual Irishman, it meant survival and hope, and the opportunity for work, freedom, and ownership of land. The early immigration and passenger lists revealed many bearing the name Cusack:

Cusack Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Christopher Cusack who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1830
Edward Cusack, who arrived in New York in 1847 4
Betsey Cusack, who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1849
William Cusack, who arrived in Mobile County, Ala in 1851 4
Peter Cusack, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1856
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cusack migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cusack Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

John Cusack was a merchant of St. John's, Newfoundland in 1827 5
Pat Cusack, who settled in Canada in 1839
James Cusack, who settled in Canada in 1849
Michael Cusack, who settled in Canada in 1850
John Cusack was settled in Great St. Lawrence in 1871

Cusack migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Cusack Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. James Cusack, (b. 1817), aged 27, Irish labourer who was convicted in Limerick, Ireland for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Emily" on 13th July 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
Mr. John Cusack, (b. 1838), aged 6, Irish settler traveling with his convict father Mr. James Cusack, transported aboard the "Emily" on 13th July 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
Mr. John Cusack, (b. 1826), aged 18, Irish labourer who was convicted in Limerick, Ireland for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Emily" on 13th July 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
Mrs. Margaret Cusack, (b. 1821), aged 30, Irish country servant who was convicted in Cork, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Blackfriar" on 24th January 1851, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
Mr. John Cusack, Scottish convict who was convicted in Jedburgh, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Fairlie" on 9th Mary 1852, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cusack migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Cusack Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Patrick Cusack, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Spray of the Ocean" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 1st September 1859 9
Mr. John Cusack, (b. 1863), aged 5 months, Irish settler from County Clare travelling from London aboard the ship "Tiptree" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 20th January 1864 9
Mr. John Cusack, (b. 1831), aged 32, Irish Tailor from County Clare travelling from London aboard the ship "Tiptree" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 20th January 1864 9
Mrs. Eliza Cusack, (b. 1833), aged 30, Irish settler from County Clare travelling from London aboard the ship "Tiptree" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 20th January 1864 9
Miss Susanna Cusack, (b. 1856), aged 7, Irish settler from County Clare travelling from London aboard the ship "Tiptree" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 20th January 1864 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Cusack (post 1700) +

John Paul Cusack (b. 1966), award winning American film actor and screenwriter
Ann Cusack (b. 1961), American actress sister of actors Joan, Bill, John and Susie Cusack
Joan Mary Cusack (b. 1962), American actress and comedienne twice nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
William Cusack, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Pennsylvania State Senate 4th District, 1878 10
Thomas Cusack (1858-1926), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from Illinois 4th District, 1899-1901; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1908 10
S. F. Cusack, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Iowa, 1936, 1944, 1948, 1952 10
Patrick Cusack, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Florida 21st District, 1998 10
Lee Cusack (1885-1951), American Democratic Party politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Wetzel County, 1927-32; Candidate for West Virginia State Senate 2nd District, 1948 10
Joyce M. Cusack, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Florida, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008; Presidential Elector for Florida, 1996; Member of Democratic National Committee from Florida, 2004-08 10
Elizabeth B. Cusack, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Massachusetts, 1948 10
... (Another 8 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sources +

O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
"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)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emily
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blackfriar
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 26th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html