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COAN Family History

This interesting surname is of Irish origin, and is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic "MacComhdhain", which is composed of the element "Mac", son of, and the personal name "Comhghan", twin. Traditionally, Irish family names are taken from the heads of tribes, revered elders of from some illustrious warrior, and are usually prefixed by "O", grandson, male descendant, or "M(a)c", denoting "son of". In Ulster the name is very numerous in County Armagh as evidenced by the Hearth Money Rolls of the 17th Century. There was evidently also a sept of south Kilkenny and Waterford whose name was Anglicized O'Cowan. In 1582, John Cowas was Chancellor of Christ Church, Waterford...