Recent research in the North Norfolk coastal parish of Runton, which historically encompassed the villages of East and West Runton, revealed an unusual number of individuals with the forename 'Coachwith'. One of these was young Coachwith Willkins, baptised there in 1769 to parents Robert and Sarah, and who was sadly buried the same year. Other Coachwiths in Runton included Coachwith Martin, Coachwith Lumley and Coachwith Samble.
The use of surnames as forenames
Where unusual forenames such as this appear in family trees, it is often the case that a surname has been used as a forename to commemorate a maternal branch of the tree, or perhaps a godparent or other important individual or family. And surely 'Coachwith' had to represent a surname, although the immediate origins of the surname were not clear.
Looking for other Coachwiths
Seeking to confirm where this surname was present across the UK, wider searches were made of transcribed parish registers and censuses. Very few Coachwiths were found here, with a couple in Kent and a few more in Northumberland and Durham. Intriguingly the surname Coachwith with this precise spelling was not identified as a surname with significant spread in Norfolk - a few variants of the surname were noted such as Coatsworth, Cotsworth and Cosworth - meaning that it had most likely originated from outside the county.
Etymological origins of 'Coachwith'
With the information that the surname most likely originated in the north-east of England, further searches were made. In fact, it emerged that the variants of 'Coatswith' or 'Coatsworth' were much more widespread across England. A look at the 1851 census found over 200 individuals with these two surnames, living mostly in Durham, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, with a few clearly having migrated down to London and Kent.
The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland gives the origin of Coatsworth, and its variants, as a locative surname with possible origins in places such as Cotescue in the North Riding of Yorkshire. Whilst the precise etymology of the surname is a little unclear, the Oxford Dictionary helpfully confirms that the surname is most well represented in County Durham.
Migration of the name
It is likely that the Couchwith individuals in Runton in the 18th century were named in honour of a surname. The more commonly found Coatswith or Coatsworth name must have migrated down the east coast of England, from County Durham to coastal North Norfolk, where it also changed slightly from Coatswith to Couchwith. Such changes are far from rare when considering genealogical research and it is always important to bear these in mind when undertaking family history investigations.
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