Contents [hide]

Wiggins History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Wiggins History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancient and distinguished surname Wiggins indicates "son of Wigand," a personal name derived from the Breton name "Wiucon," meaning "high and noble." 1 This name was introduced into England at the time of the Norman Conquest of 1066. Singular forms of the name were still found in Normandy as late as 1198: Radulphus Wigan; and Richard Wiguen. 2

Early Origins of the Wiggins family

The surname Wiggins was first found in the county of Cambridgeshire, where one named Wighen 3 was listed in the Domesday Book in 1086. Another early bearer of the name was Radulfus filius Wigein, who was living in Leicestershire in 1163. 4

Alternatively, the family could have originated in Wigan a parish, borough, and markettown, which has separate jurisdiction, and the head of a union, chiefly in the hundred of West Derby. 5 6 7

"This place is stated by Camden to have been originally called Wibiggin. The nucleus of the town is supposed by Whitaker to have been a Saxon castle, but its origin should perhaps be assigned to a still earlier period, as three Roman roads unite here. The vicinity is said to have been the scene of some sanguinary battles between the Britons, under their renowned King Arthur, and the Saxons; and the discovery, about the middle of the 18th century, of a large quantity of human bones, and the bones and shoes of horses, over an extensive tract of ground near the town, tends to confirm this opinion. " 5

Very early records also show the following forename entries that phonetically match early Latin entries, but these forenames have been lost over time: Wyranus Man-seal; Wuganus de Wyleby; and Wygan le Bretun, Essex. 8

Early History of the Wiggins family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wiggins research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1279, 1379, 1592, 1631, 1632, 1633, 1637, 1667, 1696, 1731, 1732, 1738 and 1739 are included under the topic Early Wiggins History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wiggins Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wiggin, Wiggins, Wigan, Wigans, Wiegand, Wigand, Wigens and many more.

Early Notables of the Wiggins family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Captain Thomas Wiggin (Wiggins, Wiggan, or Wiggans) (1592-1667), the 1st Governor of the Upper Plantation of New Hampshire (1633?-1637.) He was born in Bishops Itchington, Warwickshire and arrived in...

Wiggins Ranking

In the United States, the name Wiggins is the 551^st most popular surname with an estimated 52,227 people with that name. 9

Migration of the Wiggins family to Ireland

Some of the Wiggins family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wiggins migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wiggins Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mary Wiggins, who arrived in Virginia in 1661 10
William Wiggins, who landed in Maryland in 1674 10

Wiggins Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Wiggins, who arrived in North Carolina in 1701 10

Wiggins Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Wiggins, aged 46, who arrived in New York in 1812 10
Luke Wiggins, aged 27, who arrived in Rhode Island in 1812 10
Margaret Wiggins, who landed in New York, NY in 1817 10
Hugh Wiggins, who landed in New York, NY in 1817 10
Eliza Wiggins, who sailed from Ireland to New York in 1817
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wiggins migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wiggins Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Benjamin Wiggins U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 he died in 1815 11
Mrs. Charlotte Wiggins U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 11
Mr. Daniel Wiggins U.E. born in Queens County, New York, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 11
Mrs. Isabella Wiggins U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 11
Mr. Jacob Wiggins U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wiggins Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mrs. Eliza Wiggins, aged 60 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Sobraon" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in July 1847 12
Henry Wiggins, who arrived in Esquimalt, British Columbia in 1862
George Wiggins, who was living in Ontario in 1871

Wiggins migration to Australia +

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

Wiggins Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

James Wiggins, English convict from Sussex, who was transported aboard the "Argyle" on March 5th, 1831, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 13
Mr. George Wiggins, English convict who was convicted in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 27th August 1836, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 14
Mr. James Wiggins, English convict who was convicted in Berkshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Eden" on 27th August 1836, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 14
Mr. Benjamin Wiggins, British Convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 25th June 1838, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 15
Mr. Charles Wiggins, English convict who was convicted in Leicester, Leicestershire, England for life, transported aboard the "Eden" on 8th July 1840, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wiggins migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Wiggins Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Robert Wiggins, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oliver Lang" in 1858
William Wiggins, aged 16, a farm labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Queen Bee" in 1872
Richard Wiggins, aged 40, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ballochmyle" in 1874
Eliza Wiggins, aged 44, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ballochmyle" in 1874
Mr. Charles Wiggins, (b. 1849), aged 25, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Peter Denny" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 26th July 1874 16
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Wiggins (post 1700) +

Spencer Wiggins (1942-2023), American soul and gospel singer from Memphis, Tennessee
Thomas "Blind Tom" Wiggins (1849-1908), American musical prodigy on the piano, best known for The Rain Storm, composed at the age of 6
Rae Lamar Wiggins (b. 1974), former American football wide receiver
Mitchell Wiggins (b. 1959), American retired NBA basketball player
Jermaine Wiggins (b. 1975), American NFL and UFL football player
James Russell Wiggins (1903-2000), American newspaper editor of The Washington Post and United States Ambassador to the United Nations
Gerald Wiggins (1922-2008), American jazz pianist and organist
Candice Wiggins (b. 1987), American basketball player, daughter of Alan Wiggins
Alan Wiggins (1958-1991), American Major League Baseball second baseman
Mitchell Lee Wiggins (b. 1959), retired American professional basketball player
... (Another 36 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Wiggins family +

HMS Royal Oak

Leslie William Wiggins (1916-1939), British Ordnance Artificer 4th Class with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 17

RMS Lusitania

Mr. William Wiggins, English Deck Steward from England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 18
Mrs. Sarah Helena Wiggins, Canadian 2nd Class passenger from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 19

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)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. 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)
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
"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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 60)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Argyle voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1831 with 251 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/argyle/1831
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/