Coleman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

While the Anglicized versions of Irish names are familiar to most people, many Irish names have a long and proud Gaelic heritage that is often unknown. The Coleman surname stems from two distinct Gaelic names O’Clúmháin, derived from the Irish root “clúmh,” meaning “down,” or “feathers,” and from Ó Colmain, derived the Latin word “columba,” which means “dove.” 1

Early Origins of the Coleman family

The surname Coleman was first found in County Sligo (Irish: Sligeach), in the province of Connacht in Northwestern Ireland, where they were a sept of O’Colmain, a branch of Hy Fiachrach. 2