This name is of Scottish locational origin from the lands of Cogle in the parish or Watten, Caithness. The name derives from the Danish "Kogel" meaning a "hood", here used in the transferred sense of "mountain top". A Danish family by the name of Kogel settled at Papa Stour in the Shetlands prior to the 17th century and gave rise to one branch of the family, (see earliest recorded spelling). The name is frequently recorded in Caithness Church Registers from the mid 17th century on. The marriage of Alexander Coghill and Anna Bain is entered in Canisbay registers on July 24th 1653. One William Cogill was christened in Thurso on October 25th 1680. Other variations on the name include, Coghil (Wick, 1776) and Coggle (Bowertower 1790). The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Andrew Cogill of Papastour, Waiss parish. which was dated 1628, in the "Commissariot Record of Orkney and Shetland". during the reign of King Charles I, known as "The Martyr" 1625 - 1649. 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.

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