Considine Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Considine Family History

Considine Family History

The Considine ancient family history was found in the irishsurnames.com archives.

Surnames developed a wide number of variants over the centuries. Many different spelling variations of the same name can be traced back to a single original root. Also, when a bearer of a name emigrated from Ireland it was not uncommon that their original name would be incorrectly transcribed in the record books upon arrival at their new location. Some names have dozens of spelling variations. Some Surnames were also altered over the years based on how they sounded phonetically, by their sound, and depending on the prevailing political conditions it may have been advantageous to change a name from one language to another. This was especially so in Ireland where most Gaelic names were 'anglicized' at some stage.

Variants of the name Considine include Cossentine. The prefix Mac is never used with this name nowadays, but MacConsidine is found in old documents in English. In Irish it is Mac Consaidin, an example of a Gaelic surname formed from a foreign Christian name, meaning 'son of Constantine'. These were an illustrious Sept of Dalcassian origin but records of their exploits are seldom found in Irish history or literature, though they appear frequently in the local histories of County Clare as people of substance. In 1627 Cornelius MacConsidine was among the distinguished Irish exiles in Brussels. There was also a Norman family of de Constentine, one of whom founded the Priory of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Tristernagh in Westmeath, in the thirteenth century. They had no connection with the families of Thomond, who were a branch of the O'Briens.The Considine family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Considine descendants.