Surname Saturday ~ Coghan/Cogan

Today lets discuss the Cog(h)an family. The story goes that my when my Grandpa Thomas Coghan was born, a nurse added the H into our last name. It didn't used to be that way but the family just kept it there.

I blew that theory right out the window when I found Thomas' Parents (Floyd and Margaret) and Grandparents (John and Catherine) using that H in the name many years before! Alas they were not consistent, in fact, the closer to death Floyd and John became the more they dropped the H out of the name when spelling it. Floyd's death certificate does have an H, but John's does not. Both of their tombstones have no H in the engravings, but Grandpa's does.

It has been a tricky search to sort these guys out and keeping up with their name spellings.

Too make matters worse, just a couple of weeks ago, I found out that my parents sometimes drop the H because it is easier to say and spell for some people! So in the future if someone is researching our family, just be aware, that the H is optional....

Kelly