Eger History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland
Scotland

The Eger surname finds its earliest origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name 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 Eger 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 Eger family

The surname Eger 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 Eger family

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

Eger Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Eger are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Eger include: Edgar, Edgair, Eger, Eager, Edzer and others.

Early Notables of the Eger family

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

Eger Ranking

In the United States, the name Eger is the 15,855^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Eger family to Ireland

Some of the Eger 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.

Eger migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Eger or a variant listed above:

Eger Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Daniel Eger, who landed in New York in 1709 6
Jacob Eger, aged 25, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 6
Bernard Eger, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1738
Jacob Eger, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1738
Michall Eger, aged 23, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Eger Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Eugene Eger, who settled in New York City in 1832
Jakob Eger, who arrived in America in 1852 6
Maria Eger, who arrived in North America in 1852 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Eger (post 1700) +

Major-General Albert Eger Brown (1889-1984), American Commanding General Northern Military District, 6th Army (1948-1949) 7
Eger Vaughan Murphree (1898-1962), American chemist, best known for his co-invention of the process of fluid catalytic cracking, recipient of the Perkin Medal in 1950

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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, November 3) Albert Brown. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Brown/Albert_Eger/USA.html