Surname Colingwood - Meaning and Origin
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Colingwood: What does the surname Colingwood mean?
The last name Colingwood is of English origin and has two possible meanings. The first is that it's an ancient geographic name from the town of Colchester in Essex. The town provides the second meaning of the name, a topographic name for someone who lived near a wood with charcoal or coal.
The town of Colchester dates back to Roman times, when it was the first capital of Roman Britain. The town's name derives from the Latin word 'colonia', meaning a Roman settlement or 'coloniae', meaning settlers.
The name Colingwood likely originated as a local surname, referring to the inhabitants of Colchester or to their dwellings, which could be noted for containing coal or charcoal. The last name Colingwood is still concentrated around Essex, especially in London. It is also found throughout the United Kingdom and the United States in smaller numbers.
The name Colingwood reflects the ancient history of the town of Colchester and is a reminder of its past importance. It is a name associated with the sense of locality and community; a reminder of England’s rich past and a common bond shared by its many residents.
Order DNA origin analysisColingwood: Where does the name Colingwood come from?
Colingwood is an English surname derived from an Old English placename. The last name Colingwood is most commonly found in the United Kingdom today, particularly in counties within the historic county of Northumberland. Due to the small size of the U.K., Colingwood may also be found in Ireland, Scotland and Wales as families have migrated over the years.
Colingwood is also found in the United States of America, particularly in the state of Connecticut. Additionally, it may be found in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand and even in South Africa, where some families of English descent have settled.
It has been suggested that the Colingwood family originates from Old English for coal-mining and valley. This connection to both coal-mining and valley may be indicative of a particular geographic area in the UK or US.
Colingwood is a surname that is relatively rare, yet it appears to have migrated and proliferated on several continents. It is likely that the genesis of the name is linked to a small rural area in the north of England. The last name can currently be found in multiple countries across the globe, indicating the mobility, and migration of the Colingwood family throughout history.
Variations of the surname Colingwood
The surname Colingwood is derived from an English place name which means "wood belonging to a man named Cola." Variants of the surname include Coling, Collingham, Collingwood, Collinwood and Collyngwood. In some cases, these various spellings may have been used interchangeably by people of the same family.
There are a few other surnames with similar origins to Colingwood. These would include Collings, Colling, Collingridge, Colingtree, Collington, Collingsworth, Colingridge and Collingwoode. The surname Colingwood can also be found in Scotland as Colingstone.
Variations also exist based on the regional dialects in which the surname originally originated. These dialects include English, Welsh and Irish. This means that Colingwood can also occasionally be spelled with a "w" instead of an "ing," such as Colwood or Collwood.
Similar surnames that do not have an obvious connection to Colingwood could include Coleman, Collier and Collin. These surnames could be based on the Anglo-Saxon personal name Cuala or the Irish cailleach, meaning "veil."
The spelling of the surname Colingwood could also change over generations, so it is important to research any records that list the surname to get an accurate picture of its variants. Other sources such as pray records, baptism records and census data could also help to identify the surname and its variations.
Famous people with the name Colingwood
- Joseph Edwin Colingwood: British soldier from the 17th Regiment of Foot and nonconformist leader
- Catherine Colingwood: British actress
- Peter Colingwood: English actor
- Lawrence Colingwood: English journalist
- Basil Colingwood: English cricketer
- Ron Colingwood: British actor
- Michael Colingwood: Television Writer
- William Colingwood: British actor
- Richard Colingwood: English voice actor
- Luke Colingwood: British Radical Liberal Member of Parliament for Salford
- Richard H. Colingwood: English clergyman and academic
- Corey Colingwood: Scottish professional footballer
- Harry Colingwood: British Super-Middleweight boxer