Adgar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

Adgar is one of the oldest family names to come from the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from the baptismal name for the son of Edgar. Baptismal names are a form of patronymic surnames, which come from the vernacular and religious naming traditions. In this case, the bearer of the surname Adgar took his name from his father's given name, Edgar. Another source claims the name literally means "happy spear" or "blessed spear." "Eádgár was one of the commonest of Anglo-Saxon personal names." 1

Early Origins of the Adgar family

The surname Adgar was first found in Berwickshire. "Eadgar, a well-known and royal personal name among the A-Saxons. There are probably several distinct families of this designation. The Scottish family deduce themselves from Gospatrick, earl of Northumberland, temp. William I., who was a kinsman of Eadgar Atheling, and a descendant of king Eadgar, great grandson of Alfred the Great. The Edgars of Suffolk claim from a John Edgar of Dunwich, living in 1237." 2

Edgar or Eadger (944-975), was the King of the English, the younger son of Eadmund the Magnificent and the sainted Ælfgifu. "He was twenty-nine at the time of his coronation in 973 (Anglo-Saxon Chron. sub ann. 972; Flor. Wig. sub ann. 973). He was probably brought up at the court of his uncle Eadred for his name, coupled with that of his brother Eadwig [see Edwy], is appended to a charter of Eadred dated 955." 3

Edgar (1072-1107), King of Scotland was the eldest surviving son of Malcolm Canmore and Margaret, sister of Edgar Atheling, named after his Saxon uncle, was the first king who united Scottish and Saxon blood. "Canmore was slain by an ambush near Alnwick on 13 Nov. 1093, when engaged in a raid on northern England; his eldest son, Edward, fell at the same time or a day or two after. Edgar brought the fatal news to his mother, then in the castle of Edinburgh. Already enfeebled with illness she saw it in his face before he spoke, and adjured him to tell the truth. When told that both her husband and first-born were slain, she prayed to Christ." 3

Scotland records for the family were extensive and quite old. "The Edgars of Nithsdale, notwithstanding their Old English name are of Gaelic origin. Other Edgars held lands in Berwickshire of the earls of Dunbar. Edgar, son of Duvenald, son of Dunegal of Stranid (Strath Nith), held extensive lands in Nithsdale during the reign of William the Lion, and his descendants assumed the surname of Edgar." 4

Early History of the Adgar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Adgar research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1860 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Adgar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Adgar Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Adgar has undergone many spelling variations, including Edgar, Edgair, Eger, Eager, Edzer and others.

Early Notables of the Adgar family

More information is included under the topic Early Adgar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Adgar family to Ireland

Some of the Adgar family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 90 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Adgar family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Adgar were among those contributors: Charles Edgar settled in Virginia in 1642; Mary Edgar settled in Virginia in 1652; John Edgar settled in Maryland in 1666; John, Alexander, Robert, Samuel, Thomas Edgar all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860..

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)