This interesting surname is of Norman-French locational origin from Cussac in Guienne, an ancient province of south west France, so called from the Gallo-Roman personal name "Cucius" or "Cussius", with the local suffix "-acum", settlement. Introduced into Ireland in the wake of the Anglo-Norman Invasion of 1169 - 1170, the name was first Anglicized as "de Cussac" and "de Cusack", and rendered "de Ciomhsog" in Irish. Cusick, along with other Norman names such as Tobin (originally "St. Aubyn") and Roche (originally "de Roche"), may now be regarded as completely Hibernicized.
The first recorded namebearers (see below) were granted lands in Counties Meath and Kildare. The name also appears in 14th Century records of Counties Clare and Roscommon, where it was Gaelicized as "Mac Iosog" and "Ciosog". The Annals of the Four Masters record a battle between the Cusacks and the Barrets in Connacht, circa 1281. Today the name is widespread throughout Ireland, especially in Munster, where it is Anglicized Cusack, Cusick, Cuseck, Cuseick, Kusick, and Kewzick. In 1520, the birth of Patrick Cusack was recorded in Gerrardstown by Navan, County Meath, and on March 24th 1737, Timothy, son of Matt Cusick, was christened in Ballyhay, County Cork. A Coat of Arms granted to the family is a shield divided per pale gold and azure with a fess counterchanged. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Geoffrey and Andre de Cusack, who came to Ireland with King John, which was dated 1211, in "Medieval Records of the Pale", during the reign of King John, known as "Lackland", 1199 - 1216. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.
The origin, the coat of arms or the different heraldic shields, and the bibliography in which the surname cusick is mentioned are part of this exciting investigation. Adhering to what we know about the way surnames originated, it is possible to offer a realistic explanation of the origins of cusick.
The list of countries with a higher presence of people with the surname cusick provides us with a perspective on the history of the surname, beyond its origins, focusing on its migrations.
For those like you, who are interested in the history hidden behind the surname cusick, it is essential to find all kinds of information, both direct and tangential, that helps to construct a solid narrative of how the birth and expansion of cusick developed. In the following lines, you will find everything we have been able to gather about the surname cusick.
We keep our website updated through our own research and also thanks to contributions from people like you, after verification; so if you have information about cusick and send it to us, we will update it on this website.
Sadly, not all the contributions of those who bore the surname cusick were recorded by the chroniclers of the time. If you or someone you know bears the surname cusick, you could potentially build illustrious lineages through your efforts and virtues. It is our desire to highlight in this section those individuals with the surname cusick who, for various reasons, have left their mark on the course of history.
The origin, history, coat of arms or different coats of arms, and the heraldry of cusick are recorded in a wide variety of sources and documents that are essential to know for better compilation. Accessing the archives of the town or towns where your ancestors were born and lived is, of course, a good way to trace the origins of cusick.
These sources are essential for initiating the understanding of cusick, and at the same time, of surnames in general.