COE
The surname Coe is of English origin and is traditionally linked to nicknames that described a person’s character or appearance. It first appears in the medieval records of the British Isles, particularly within England, where it was associated with Christian households and entered the English lexicon through the Old English term cocc, which means “cock” or “rooster”. Consequently, it would have been assigned to an individual who displayed the bristling or proud attributes typically attributed to a rooster.
Alternative interpretations consider that Coe derives from the Old English cumb, meaning “valley” or “hollow”, and therefore was applied as a topographic name to a person who dwelt near a hill or a natural mound. In addition, the name appears in Northern Middle English as kay (from Old Norse ka, “jackdaw”) and in the Midland dialect as co or coo. Early documentary evidence records the surname in various spellings; for example, Richard Ka in Yorkshire in 1219, John Co in Warwickshire in 1221, Gilbert le Co in Huntingdonshire in 1252 and Beatrice le Coe in Norfolk in 1273.
In modern times the surname Coe remains relatively common throughout England, with a pronounced concentration in the eastern counties of Norfolk, Essex and Suffolk. Variants such as Coes, Coles and Cox are also encountered, often reflecting regional orthographic preferences or phonetic spellings adopted during the transition from Middle to Modern English.
An example of the name in 1526 is William Coe of Ashill in Norfolk, whose entry appears in the Feet of Fines for that county. The Northamptonshire and Norfolk data provide further evidence of the surname’s persistence and geographical spread during the early modern period.
One of the earliest documented bearers to leave England for the New World was Jane Coe, aged thirty, who embarked from London aboard the ship Susan and Ellin in April 1635 on a voyage bound for New England. Her departure represents the earliest recorded instance of the surname in America.
An heraldic achievement has been associated with the Coe family of Norfolk: a silver shield bearing three gules piles wavy set between twelve black martlets. The crest offices an arm embowed, holding a chaplet, and is described in the family tradition as an emblem of modesty and steadfastness.
While the surname appears in English records as early as the twelfth century, the first known spelling is that of Osbert Ka, dated to 1188 and recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire during the reign of King Henry I, who reigned from 1154 to 1189 and is noted as the “Builder of Churches”. The extent of this early entry confirms that the name was already in use within the administrative documents of the early medieval period.
Typical given names associated with the Coe surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Jacqueline
- Jennifer
- Julie
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
- Victoria
Similar and related surnames
- Cae
- Cai
- Caia
- Caie
- Caio
- Cao
- Cau
- Caue
- Ceo
- Co
- Coa
- Coek
- Coen
- Coes
- Coi
- Coia
- Coo
- Cooe
- Cooey
- Cooze
- Cos
- Cose
- Cou
- Coue
- Couey
- Couie
- Coux
- Cow
- Cowe
- Cowee
- Cowes
- Cowey
- Cows
- Cu
- Cua
- Cue
- Cui
- Gaa
- Gae
- Gai
- Gaia
- Gaie
- Gaio
- Gao
- Gau
- Ghai
- Ghaoui
- Ghea
- Ghee
- Ghei
- Ghia
- Ghio
- Gho
- Ghui
- Go
- Goe
- Goi
- Goia
- Goo
- Gou
- Gu
- Gue
- Guei
- Gueu
- Gui
- Guia
- Guiao
- Guie
- Guio
- Guiu
- Guo
- Ka
- Kaae
- Kae
- Kai
- Kaio
- Kao
- Kau
- Kaui
- Kc
- Ke
- Kea
- Kee
- Kei
- Keo
- Keu
- Khoe
- Ki
- Kia
- Kiaie
- Kie
- Kieu
- Kii
- Kiio
- Kio
- Kiu
- Ko
- Koa
- Koe
- Koi
- Koia
- Koo
- Kooi
- Kou
- Kouao
- Koue
- Koui
- Ku
- Kua
- Kue
- Kuei
- Kui
- Kuo
- Kyc
- Qc
- Qi
- Qiao
- Qiu
- Qu
- Qua
- Quai
- Quaia
- Quao
- Que
- Quee
- Qui
- Quie
- Quo
- Whyke
- Wyck
- Wycke
- Wyk
- Wyka
- Wyke
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Coe in...
Braille
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Morse
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There are approximately 9,189 people named Coe in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,029th most common surname in Britain. Around 141 in a million people in Britain are named Coe.
Surname type: Nickname
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Coe
- Sebastian Coe - Athlete and politician
- Alexander Paul Coe - Welsh DJ
- David Allan Coe - American country music singer
- Douglas Coe - American evangelical (1928 to 2017)
- Jonathan Coe - Novelist
- Tony Coe - Jazz musician
- Gideon Coe - DJ
- Sue Coe - Artist
- Peter Coe - Athlete (1919 to 2008)
- William Robertson Coe - Businessman, philanthropist (1869 to 1955)
- Denis Coe - Politician (1929 to 2015)
- Ron Coe - Racing cyclist (1933 to 1988)
- Geoffrey Coe - Cricketer
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.