Cauche Family History & Genealogy

History

The family name Cauche originates from France, more specifically from Northern France, the area in the north-west of France which was strongly influenced by the Picardian language, particularly during the 16th and 17th centuries and even earlier.This language extended through Artois, Cambrésis, Tournésis, and parts of Flanders and Hainaut, but alkso through Upper Normandy.  The word "cauche" is from the old Picardian language - being neither a modern Picardian nor a French word. It corresponds in meaning to the modern French word "chausse", meaning hose or stocking or breeches. In the patois of Lille “cauche” had all these meanings, at least before the 20th century.The patois of Eure in Normandy has also used “cauches” for socks. In the present day patois of the Nord department of France the word "chausette" occurs, meaning sock or half-hose.“Cauche” evolved from the Old Picardian "cauce", which on its part came from the Old French “chauce”, this again emerging from the medieval ("vulgar") Latin "calcea", a feminised form of  classical Latin "calceus", meaning shoe, and more distant in the past from the Latin "calcx", meaning heel. 
A particular word that relates to "cauche" is "cauchier". It has meanings that, in some connotations, are similar if not identical to "cauche". It is Norman rather than Picardian in origin and seems to have preceded Cauche as a family name, but it also seems to have become extinct. Two of its various connotations are: (a) one who wears or makes shoes, and (b) one who darns, mends or repairs. It relates in various connotations to "chaucier", one of which is footwear and another meaning maker or manufacturer of a tight-fitting medieval garment covering the feet and legs, usually made of chain mail.
Given this kind of understanding of the evolution of "cauche" and some related words, the family name Cauche tends to be taken as having originally (during the Middle Ages) indicated persons whose occupation was that of making or mending hose or stockings or breeches or shoes (albeit that the latter were perhaps of the more soft types of Medieval shoes.)
The family name Cauche probably spread from Picardy into its neigbouring and nearby regions and departments in France, particularly into Upper Normandy (Eure) and Nord-Pas-de-Calais, as well as into Flanders. From Flanders, and maybe from one or more of Picardy and Normandy, it spread to Britain. It also diffused into Spain and hence to Latin America, eg. Mexico.
Primary sources of reference used here are the onomatologists Jean Tosti (French) and Frans Debrabandere (Belgian/Flemish), as well as other etymological sources of reference, such as dictionaries on the Picardian language and on other regional languages of the North-West during various periods or ages.

Name Origin

The family name Cauche is taken as originally designating persons whose occupation (during the Middle Ages or the Renaissance) was that of making or mending hose or stockings or breeches or shoes (albeit that the latter were perhaps more of the soft types of Medieval shoes.)

Spellings & Pronunciations

The French expert Jean Tosti does not identify any particular spelling variations for "Cauche". Yet there are certain Picardian and particularly Norman words, mostly ancient, that are acknowledged as family names and that have the same essential meanings as "cauche", such as the following: Cauchier, Caucheteur, Caucheteux, Cauchard, Cauchon. 
The Belgian expert Frans Debrabandere believes that amongst names from Northern France and from Belgium the following can be taken as some of the variants of Cauche: Chauche, Chausse, Causse, Kaus, Kausse, Cousse and Kousen.
The British family names Cawche, Cauch, and Cawche are all believed by some British and American commentators to be variations of Cauche.
Some people believe that the French name Couche is also a variant of Cauche. Debrabandere considers Couche to be a family name distinct from Cauche, and he associates Couche with the French names Coché and Cochet, both of which he relates to “coq”, meaning rooster. Some of the other variants he associates with Couche are Coussee, Cossé and Cocher. Some British commentators believe the surname Couche to be a variant of Cauche while others believe it to be quite distinct from this name. A number of these British commentators take the French “couche” to mean couch or bed, given that one of the connotations of “couche” is to lie down and, according to some dictionaries, to lean back.  Couch, Cowche, Coutch, Coutche and Coutcher are amongst British variants of Couche. The French expert Jean Tosti does not however recognize Couche as a French name, in that to date (2012) it is not included in his list of French surnames of which he supplies meanings. Yet, some French websites on family names do indicate that there are indeed people in France carrying this name.
Two French family names that are sometimes confused with Cauche, are Cauchy and Cauchie. These are not to be taken as spelling variations of Cauche. They are derived from the Picardian word "cauchée", which relates to the French "chaussée", and which has the meaning of (raised) road or causeway. As with Cauche, these two names are also prevalent in the North-Western territories of France.
The family name of the father of the progenitor of the South African Coetzee family has been indicated in his will, compiled in 1714, as being either Cauche or Couché. However, present knowledge suggests it most probably derives from Cauche.

Nationality & Ethnicity

The family name Cauche originates from France, more specifically from Northern France, the area in the north-west of France which was strongly influenced by the Picardian language, particularly during the 16th and 17th centuries and even earlier.
Not many people in France carry this name. This is indicated by the numbers of births and the numbers of occurrences of people with this family name in regions of France over various periods. These are given by some French genealogical websites, particularly with respect to periods in the 1900's. Such births have been concentrated in Northern France, namely in Normandy (particularly Eure), in Nord, in Pas-de-Calais, and in Picardie (particularly Somme). (It is remarkable that concentrations are mostly higher in Nord and Normandy than in Picardy.) 
Apparent continual high concentration in Nord, bordering on Flanders, supports an observation that Cauche, apart from being French (Picardian and Norman), also became Flemish through diffusion over centuries. The family name Cauche originates from France, more specifically from Northern France, the area in the north-west of France which was strongly influenced by the Picardian language, particularly during the 16th and 17th centuries and even earlier.
The family name Cauche probably spread from Picardy into the neigbouring regions of France, particularly Normandy and Nord-Pas-de-Calais, as well as into Flanders. From Flanders, and maybe from one or more of Picardy and Normandy, it spread to Britain. It also diffused into Spain and hence to Spanish America, eg. Mexico.

Famous People named Cauche

Francois Cauche referred to in the following book:
"Relations véritables et curieuses de l'Isle de Madagascar [Relation du voyage de François Cauche à Madagascar : colloque entre un Madagascarois et un François". Author:Pierre Moreau, (de Paray-le-Monial).Publisher:Paris : Q. Courbé, 1651.

Early Cauches

These are the earliest records we have of the Cauche family.