Cummins Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Cummins last name means, where the surname began and where it was first recorded.
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Meaning and origin of the Cummins last name
Meaning of the Cummins last name: descendant of Coimín ("little crooked one"). Cummins in Ireland comes from Ó Coimín, "descendant of Coimín", a diminutive of the personal name Cam, "crooked". The name was early confused with the Norman Comyn family, who settled in Limerick and Clare after the Anglo-Norman invasion of 1169. Cummins is now most common in Munster, especially Cork, Tipperary and Waterford, and in Mayo and Sligo, where Commins is a local spelling. The Norman Comyns were among the most powerful families in medieval Scotland before their fall in the wars of Robert the Bruce. Many Cummins families emigrated to the United States, England and Australia in the 19th century.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Cummins name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Cummins name in Ireland. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as the United States, England and Australia; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
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Cummins name FAQ
What does the Cummins name mean?
Descendant of Coimín ("little crooked one"). Common variants include Cummings, Commins, Comyn.
Where does the Cummins surname come from?
It originates in Ireland, and is also found in the United States, England and Australia.
Is there a Cummins coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Cummins crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Cummins coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.