Agius History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The surname Agius is a name whose history on English soil dates back to the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. The name Agius comes from a the baptismal name for the son of Agace. As the naming tradition grew in Europe baptismal names began to be introduced in many countries. Baptismal names were sometimes given in honor of Christian saints and other biblical figures. There are very few Christian countries in Europe that did not adopt surnames from these religious figures.

Early Origins of the Agius family

The surname Agius was first found in Huntingdonshire (now a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire) where early records of the name were found as both a forename and a surname. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 revealed: John Messor et Agacia, uxor sua in Cambridgeshire; Agacia de Gatesdon in Devon; Robert filius Agacie in Cambridgeshire; Symon Agace in Huntingdonshire; and William Agaz in Buckinghamshire. 1

The Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379 listed Simon Agasson.

Further to the north in Scotland, the variant Haggis is of "local origin from Haggis, a common place name occurring in the shires of Berwick, Ayr, Lanark, Renfrew, Aberdeen, and Banff. " 2 And the first records of the family include: "Gilbert of Haggehouse, a Scots merchant, was arrested at Lynn in England without cause, 1394; and William Haggus [who] held land in the Almory of Abirbrothoc in 1427." 2

Haggis is a savoury pudding and traditional Scottish dish. Thanks to Robert Burns' poem "Address to a Haggis" in 1787, the pudding is a favourite every Robbie Burn's Day where the poem is recited and the pudding is typically piped in with much ceremony.

Early History of the Agius family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Agius research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1379, 1540, 1564, 1601, 1621, 1662 and 1679 are included under the topic Early Agius History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Agius Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Agius has been recorded under many different variations, including Haggas, Haggis, Hagis, Hagass, Haggist, Hagges, Hages, Hagus, Hagase, Aggas, Agas, Aggs, Agace, Agus and many more.

Early Notables of the Agius family

Distinguished members of the family include Robert Aggas, (d. 1679) an English painter, who was employed by Charles II as a scene-painter for the theatre in Dorset Garden. 3Ralph Agas (1540-1621), was a land surveyor, who rose to eminence by making maps of London. He was a native of Stoke-by-Nayland, in Suffolk. 1 3Benjamin Agus (fl...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Agius Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Agius family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Agius or a variant listed above: Humphrey Haggist who settled in Virginia in 1654.

Contemporary Notables of the name Agius (post 1700) +

Sébastien Agius (b. 1983), French singer
Marcus Ambrose Paul Agius (b. 1946), British financier and businessman, current Chairman of Barclays
Gilbert Agius (b. 1974), Maltese footballer
Frederick "Fred" Agius (b. 1984), Australian footballer
Andrei Agius (b. 1986), Maltese footballer
Adam Agius (b. 1971), Australian member of the progressive metal band Alchemist
Anne Agius Ferrante (1925-2023), Maltese politician, Member of the Parliament of Malta from 1980 until 1981 as a member of the Nationalist Party

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print