▁the ▁River ▁Th ames ▁in ▁England . ▁Another ▁explanation ▁as ▁to ▁the ▁origin ▁of ▁the ▁name ▁is ▁from ▁the ▁Middle ▁English ▁cole ▁‘ co al ’ ▁+ ▁grave ▁‘ pit ’ , ▁‘ gra ve ’ ▁( Old ▁English ▁col ▁+ ▁gr æ f ). ▁ ▁Other ▁forms ▁of ▁sp elling ▁in ▁the ▁past ▁include ▁‘ Col gro ve ’ , ▁‘ Co leg ra ve ’ , ▁‘ Col gra ve ’ , ▁‘ C oul gro ve ’ . ▁The ▁first ▁records ▁of ▁the ▁Co leg ro ve ▁name ▁were ▁in ▁ 1 4 th ▁century ▁England . ▁ ▁The ▁family ▁name ▁is ▁found ▁throughout ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom , ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁Canada , ▁Australia , ▁New ▁Zealand , ▁South ▁Africa , ▁Ireland ▁and ▁other ▁nations . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁known ▁mention ▁of ▁Col gro ve ▁as ▁a ▁surname ▁was ▁of ▁one ▁Johannes ▁Col gro ve ▁of ▁K idd ington , ▁Oxford shire ▁from ▁ 1 3 7 7 ▁during ▁the ▁Pol l ▁Tax ▁lev ied ▁to ▁fin ance ▁the ▁war ▁against ▁France ▁by ▁John ▁of ▁Ga unt . ▁ ▁Over ▁two ▁hundred ▁years ▁later , ▁there ▁were ▁still ▁people ▁with ▁that ▁surname ▁in ▁K idd ington ▁and ▁the ▁surrounding ▁towns , ▁such ▁as ▁Sw al cl iffe , ▁Oxford shire . ▁ ▁There ▁were ▁also ▁place ▁names ▁in ▁England ▁with ▁the ▁name ▁Co leg ro ve . ▁ ▁The ▁earliest ▁mention ▁of ▁which ▁was ▁in ▁a ▁grant ▁of ▁land ▁from ▁one ▁" Will iam ▁de ▁Cole th rop "