Haggar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
England

The chronicle of the name Haggar begins with a family in the Pictish clans of ancient Scotland. The name is derived from the Gaelic form Mac-an-t-sagairt, which means son of the priest. Patronymic names often substituted the name of a saint or other revered religious figure in place of a devout bearer's actual father. However, the patronym Haggar often denotes actual paternity in this case, since the marriage of clerics in minor orders was permissible, although the marriage of priests was declared illegal and invalid during the 12th century.

The etymology of the name is much in debate. One source notes the "family are supposed to be derived from the Ogards of co. Hertfordshire." or the name "Haggard is a corruption of "hay-garth," a rick yard, and is so employed in Hall and Holinshed, as well as in several provincial dialects, but most probably, an ancient baptismal name which occurs in Domesday as Acard and Acardus." 1

Early Origins of the Haggar family

The surname Haggar was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

The Scottish branch of the family was recorded quite late as "the name occurs in Suffolk in thirteenth century as Hacgard." 2 3

One of the first records of the family was found in Worcestershire, England where Alice Haggard was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1275. 4 In this case, the name may have been derived from the Middle English and Old French word hagard which means 'wild, untamed.'

Early History of the Haggar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Haggar research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1723 is included under the topic Early Haggar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Haggar Spelling Variations

When the first dictionaries were invented in the last few hundred years, spelling gradually became standardized. Before that time, scribes spelled according to sound. Names were often recorded under different spelling variations every time they were written. Haggar has been written Haggard, Hagard, Hagger, Hagart, Haggart, Hager and many more.

Early Notables of the Haggar family

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

Haggar migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Haggar Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Nathaniel Haggar, (b. 1810), aged 20, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Florentia" on 11th August 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died 1855 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Haggar (post 1700) +

Jenna Haggar, American politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives 15th District; Elected 2010 6
Donald A. Haggar, American politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives 10th District, 1959-60 6

The Haggar Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Modeste conabor
Motto Translation: I will attempt moderately.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html