Origins of the COIG. |
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The surname Coig originated among the Celtic people of ancient Scotland. They
spoke Scots Gaelic, a language that survives to this day and is closely related
to the Goidelic spoken in Ireland. This is a language rich in idiom and expression
whose influence is felt throughout Scotland and particularly so in the Highlands.
The word "coig" means "five" in Gaelic. In Goidelic, the same word is "cuig".
However, it is unlikely that the name derived from this word in its inception.
The island of Uist in the Hebrides, original homeland
of the Coig.
At present, there is some confusion about where and in what form the surname Coig
first appeared. Our research so far points to a possible Irish beginning in the
form "O'Quig", which later became McQuig when some of the family settled in Scotland.
Another possibility is that it originated in Scotland as "MacCooish"
or "MacCuag" which are included in the list of septs of the clan MacDonald.
But a more likely provenance is the form “MacCaig”, which is included
in the list of septs of the clan MacLeod of Harris. Also, the clan Farquharson
lists "MacCaig", "MacCuag" and "MacQuaig" among
its families. To the best of our knowledge, our family name is now extinct in
Scotland in its present form, but it may survive in one or more of its alternative
spellings. The "Coig" form survives mainly in France, Spain and the United States.
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