This interesting surname is of Scottish locational origin from a place called Colquhoun in the former county of Aberdeenshire (now part of Grampian region), first recorded in the form of "Colghoun" in 1246. The name appears to derive from the Gaelic "coil", "cuil", a nook, corner or "coill(e)" a wood plus "cumhann" narrow; hence "narrow corner or wood". Colquhoun is the name of a Scottish family descended from Umfridus de Kilpatrick, who acquired the lands of Colquhoun in the reign of Alexander 11 (1214-1249). The surname is first recorded in the mid 13th Century. Vmfredus de Kelquon witnessed a confirmation charter by Robert 1 to Sir John Colquhoun (1308). About the middle of the 14th Century Sir Robert Colquhoun married the heiress of Humphrey de Luss and thus became Lord of Colquhoun and Luss. The spelling Colhoun is mainly found in Northern Ireland with Calhoun being found in the United States. The marriage of Adam Colhoun and Agnes Ormeston took place on September 7th 1693, at St. James Dukes Place, London, and on December 15th 1696, Sarah, daughter of Alexander and Mary Colhoun, was christened at St. Botolph without Aldgate. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Robert de Colechon, which was dated 1259, records relating to Dunbartonshire, during the reign of King Alexander 111 of Scotland, 1249 - 1286. 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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