The origin of the Goggin name

Welcome to our exploration of the Goggin name, its rich history, and the lineage that has shaped its identity over the centuries. Here, we delve into the origins, notable figures, and the heraldry associated with the Goggin family.

Our Origins

The Goggin name is Celtic in origin and goes back to the parish of Cogan which is in the diocese of Llandaff, in Glamorganshire, Wales. Cogan is a place near Cardiff in Wales.

This original Goggin family, like most of the South Welsh colonists, was probably of Flemish origin.

It is said that the Goggin ancestors can be traced back to Cardigan where they were seated before the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

The first of the family to arrive in Ireland was the famous Milo de Cogan who came to Ireland as Strongbow's right-hand man in the Anglo-Norman Invasion of 1172. Milo was granted huge estates in Cork by Henry II. He left no son to carry on the name so the name was practically extinct by the 17th century, but luckily enough minor branches under the name Goggin survived.

Further details on Milo de Cogan can be found on the Cogan pages at this link.

The family was among the leaders of the invasion of Cork, Ireland; so most must descend from Richard de Cogan who lived in the early thirteenth century. Richard also possess lands around Bray in Wicklow and obtained lands in Galway at the time of the Connacht invasion, which the family lost during the fourteenth century. Also, in that century the greater share of the Cogan estate in Cork was overrun but they retained lands south of Cork until the seventeenth century.

Evidence of settlement and occupation of Ireland can be shown to exist since 6,000 BC. Evidence shows the first settlers were Mesolithic hunters. About 795 AD the Norsemen began invading Irish villages and towns during these invasions they seized and fortified the ports of Dublin and Annagassan in 838AD. They Norsemen were expelled by Aed Finnliath King of Ireland between 862-879AD.

The family name Goggin originally was used as a regional appellation. Regional surnames stem from place names including rivers, countries, and man made features such as buildings, crossroads and many other objects. A person could be given a name indicating a place which was readily recognised. In this case, the surname Goggin was used for a person from the township of Cogan in county Cork, Ireland.

Records of the name Goggins indicate there were early bearers who became instrumental in influencing the development and direction of their country and held positions of power and authority during their lifetimes which enabled them to hold sway in the decision making process in events of national importance.

Early records of the surname Goggin include Patrick Goggin from Goganrath in county Cork appears in the Hearth Money Rolls. Hearth Money Rolls were a tax of two shillings on every hearth or fire place in a dwelling. In the year 1663 a list was compiled of all households liable to pay this tax, together with the number of fireplaces in their dwellings and their obligations to the crown.

Other Sources:

?"Meaning the Norman ''de Cogan'' of Cogan, a parish in Glamorganshire.

This surname came to Ireland at the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion.

Milo de Cogan was the first constable of Dublin and arrived in Ireland with Strongbow in 1170. He received, jointly with Robert FitzStephen, a grant of the whole of County Cork from Henry II."

Source: www.irishgen.com/surnames/details.asp?surname_id=1063

Goggin(s), Goggan(s) and Gogan are names that have been suggested as being derived from Geoghegan. However, these are usually variants of the name Cogan. The outstanding figure in the history of the Cogan family is the first of them to come to Ireland, Milo de Cogan (d. c. 1183), who was Strongbow's right-hand man in the Anglo-Norman invasion of 1171. He was granted a huge area in Co. Cork by Henry II.

Milo left no surviving son and the great territorial family thus founded was practically extinct as such by the end of the seventeenth century. Minor branches of it, however, survive up to the present day, usually under the name of Goggin and sometimes Gogan. In the sixteenth century the name was in the transition stage: the earlier Fiants gave as a rule Cogan, Cogane and Coggain, the later ones Gogan and Goggan.

Among the Co. Cork place-names in the same source we find Goganrath and Gogganshill, the latter being also given as Knockgogan and a few years earlier as Knockcowgan. Keoghan, Keohan and Kohan all come from the Irish Mac Eocháin. Because of the similarity to Mac Eochagáin, there has been inevitable confusion, however this is a name peculiar to west Cork and is not connected with Geoghegan. Egan (and it's variants Keegan and Hegan) which is Mac Aodhagáin in Irish, is an unrelated name despite its similar appearance.

Source: www.geoghegan.org/clan/vars.html

(Mac) COGGAN, Cogavin KEOGAN KEOHANE Milo de Cogan , the first of the Cogan families to come to Ireland :(d. c. 1183) He was Strongbow's right-hand man in the Anglo-Norman invasion of 1171. Granted a huge area in Co. Cork by Henry 11. Milo left no surviving son and the great territorial family thus founded, though reinforced by grants to Richard de Cogan in 1207 and still important enough to be listed among the chief gentry of the barony of Kinelea in 1591, was practically extinct as such by the end of the seventeenth century. Minor branches of it survive up to the present day, usually under the name of Goggin and sometimes Gogan.

In the sixteenth century the name was in the transition stage: the earlier Fiants gave Cogan, Cogane and Coggain, the later ones Gogan and Goggan. Among the Co. Cork place-names we find Goganrath and Gogganshill, (also given as Knockgogan and a few years earlier as Knockcowgan).

The form Cogan did not become obsolete. Philip Cogan sailed to Spain with del Aquila in 1602; two Cogans and a Coggan were officers in southern regiments of James 11's Irish army, Richard Cogan was a "doctor of physic" in Co. Cork in 1707 and in 1798 Pascho Coggin was a witness to a deed relating to Charleville, formerly known as Rathgoggan, the name of the parish embracing the town of Charleville. Another Philip Cogan (1750-1834), composer, was also a Cork man.

As well as the Cogans of Norman origin there is a sept of the Ui Maine whose name is sometimes anglicized as Cogan, though Coogan is more usual and nearer the Gaelic-Irish form Ó Cuagáin. They are of the same stock as the O'Maddens. A sept of Mac Cogain were located in Glanfarne on the shore of Lough Allen in Co. Leitrim, dropped the prefix Mac in the eighteenth century and became Cogan and Coggan. Neither is at all numerous today. The variant Cogavin is also rare.

Source: www.goireland.com/Genealogy/scripts/Family.asp?FamilyID=530