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Irish surname

Cummins: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Coimín (Anglo-Norman Comyn); Ó Cuimín; Mac Cuimín · Several names: the Anglo-Norman Comyn (Irish Coimín), 'possibly' from French 'de Comminges' or 'de Comines'; Ó Cuimín, 'descendant of Cuimín' (diminutive of cam, bent, crooked); Mac Cuimín, 'son of Cuimín'

Woulfe (1923) gives Cummins as an English form of Coimín, the Irish form of the Comyn family, who came to Ireland at the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion. The same English spelling also stands for the Gaelic Ó Cuimín and Mac Cuimín, and Woulfe says the names are now hard to tell apart. In 1890 Cummins births were found chiefly in Dublin, Cork and Tipperary.

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Coat of arms associated with the Cummins surname
Irish formCoimín (Anglo-Norman Comyn); Ó Cuimín; Mac Cuimín
MeaningSeveral names: the Anglo-Norman Comyn (Irish Coimín), 'possibly' from French 'de Comminges' or 'de Comines'; Ó Cuimín, 'descendant of Cuimín' (diminutive of cam, bent, crooked); Mac Cuimín, 'son of Cuimín'
CountiesDublin, Cork, Tipperary, Westmeath
Other spellings6

Origin of the Cummins name

Partly Anglo-Norman, partly Gaelic. Woulfe: the Comyn family 'came over to Ireland at the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion' and the name became very common in the southern half of Ireland and in Westmeath and Roscommon. Ó Cuimín was 'the name of several distinct families', the Sligo one a branch of the Ui Fiachrach.[1][2][3][5]

  1. 1181John Comyn, an Englishman, appointed Archbishop of Dublin.[7]
  2. 1190Archbishop John Comyn commences and endows St Patrick's Cathedral.[7]
  3. 1212John Comyn dies in Dublin, 25 October; buried in Christ Church.[7]
  4. 189077 Cummins births registered, chiefly in Dublin, Cork and Tipperary.[6]

Where in Ireland

Co. DublinFirst county named for Cummins births in 1890.[6]
Co. CorkNamed by Matheson with Dublin and Tipperary for 1890 Cummins births.[6]
Co. TipperaryNamed by Matheson with Dublin and Cork for 1890 Cummins births.[6]
Co. WestmeathWoulfe says the Comyn name became very common there as well as in the south.[1]
Co. RoscommonWoulfe says the Comyn name became very common there as well as in the south.[1]
Co. SligoThe Sligo Ó Cuimín family is a branch of the Ui Fiachrach.[2]

Notable people named Cummins

John Comynd. 1212First Anglo-Norman Archbishop of Dublin; commenced and endowed St Patrick's Cathedral in 1190.[7][1]

Other spellings

Comyn · Comyns · Cummin · Cumming · Cummings · Kimmins[1][4]

The Cummins coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Cummins surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Cummins crest gifts

Clan Cummins Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapZZ10 Classic Cap - Cummins Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Cummins Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00

Cummins surname: questions

Is Cummins an Irish name?

Partly. Woulfe gives Cummins as a form of Coimín, the name of the Comyn family that came to Ireland at the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion (he calls it 'the Anglo-Norman Comyn'), and also as a form of the Gaelic names Ó Cuimín and Mac Cuimín.[1][2][3][5]

What does the surname Cummins mean?

For the Gaelic families, Woulfe gives Ó Cuimín as 'descendant of Cuimín' (diminutive of cam, bent, crooked) and Mac Cuimín as 'son of Cuimín'. For the Norman Comyns he says the name is 'possibly' from French 'de Comminges' or 'de Comines'.[1][2][3]

Where in Ireland is the Cummins name found?

In 1890 Cummins births were chiefly in Dublin, Cork and Tipperary. Woulfe says the Comyn name became very common in the southern half of Ireland and in Westmeath and Roscommon, and names a Sligo Ó Cuimín family.[6][1][2]

Are Cummins and Comyn the same name?

Woulfe lists Comyn, Comyns and Cummins together as English forms of Coimín, the Anglo-Norman family name, but warns it is now difficult to distinguish from Mac Cuimín and Ó Cuimín.[1][5]

Sources

  1. Coimín — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/c/coimin.php
  2. Ó Cuimín — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-cuimin.php
  3. Mac Cuimín — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macc/mac-cuimin.php
  4. Cuimín — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/c/cuimin.php
  5. Mac Coimín — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macc/mac-coimin.php
  6. Cummins — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/cummins.php
  7. Comyn, John — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/JohnComyn.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).