Wegge History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Wegge is generally thought to have been originally Wegge or Wege. The name Wege was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. 1 "Wegga [is] a pet contraction of one of the Old Norse Uág- = Anglo-Saxon Wœg- names. This is a very ancient Teutonic name- element, a Wœgdœg, e.g., being given in the Anglo-Saxon genealogies as the name of a descendant of Woden." 2

Another source claims the name is a nickname "probably connected with wag, to move from side to side, as in wag-tail." 3

But another source agrees with the Anglo-Saxon origin, having derived from "waeg," meaning "way" and postulates that the name may be "the same name as Waga, which occurs in the genealogy of the Mercian kings." 4

Early Origins of the Wegge family

The surname Wegge was first found in Somerset where John Wegge was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327. A few years later, Robert Wegge was recorded in the the Feet of Fines for Surrey 1391-1392. 5 Willelmus Wege was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls for 1379. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included entries for John Wagge, Yorkshire; Robert Wagge, Lincolnshire; and Robert le Wag, Oxfordshire. 3

Again in Somerset, entries for the family include: Robert atte Wagge; and Henry atte Wagge, 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 6

Early History of the Wegge family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wegge research. Another 70 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1607, 1720, 1792, 1824, 1827, 1828, 1847, 1849, 1852, 1854, 1855, 1856, 1857, 1865, 1872, 1910, 1911 and 1996 are included under the topic Early Wegge History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wegge Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wegg, Wege, Wedge, Wegge, Wagg, Wagge and others.

Early Notables of the Wegge family

Distinguished members of the family include Francis Richard Wegg-Prosser (1824-1911), only son of Rev. Prebendary Francis Haggit, rector of Newnham Coutney, born at Newnham Courtney, Oxfordshire. In 1849, when he succeeded to the estates of his great-uncle, Rev. Dr. Prosser of Belmont, Herefordshire, he assumed the name of Wegg-Prosser. He was a member of Parliament from 1847 to 1852, when he was received into the Catholic Church by Bishop Grant of Southwark. 7 His son, Charles Wegg-Prosser (1910-1996) was a British politician and solicitor.John Helder Wedge (1792-1872), was an Australian colonial statesman, born in England in 1792. He arrived in Tasmania...
Another 165 words (12 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wegge Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wegge migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wegge Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Ludwig Wegge, who arrived in America in 1832 8

The Wegge 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: Nil conscire sibi
Motto Translation: Conscious of No Wrong.

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)