An Irish and English surname, Cosgrove in the original Gaelic term of ‘cosrach’ refers to triumphant and conquering. From the Old English the term ‘cof’ and ‘graf’ referred to a thicket or grove. The spelling variations for Cosgrove include Cosgrave, McCosgrave, O’Cosgrave, O’Cosgrove and McCosgrove. In Leinster, Ireland is where the original Cosgrove families lived. Within Scotland many Cosgrove families lived in the southern region centered in Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, Angus and Midlothian. Going into England, most with the Cosgrove surname were in Yorkshire and Lancashire counties. The earliest Cosgrove families coming to America lived in New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Later many resettled into Massachusetts, Illinois, New Jersey, Connecticut and California. Famous: Kevin M. Cosgrove (the Vice President of Aon Corp. and killed in South Tower in NYC during Sept. 11, 2001), Daniel Cosgrove (movie film actor), Miranda T. Cosgrove (movie film actress and songwriter), Stuart Cosgrove (journalist and television broadcaster in Scotland), William Cosgrove (awarded the Victoria Cross from England during World War I).