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Egerton History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Egerton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The present generation of the Egerton family is only the most recent to bear a name that dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name comes from having lived in Egerton, in the county of Cheshire. It is now called Egerton Green. The place-name is derived from the Old English personal name Ecghere and tun, a word which meant enclosure, farm, or settlement, and later came to mean fort, and then town. The name would translate as farm belonging to Ecghere.

Early Origins of the Egerton family

The surname Egerton was first found in Cheshire at Egerton Green which dates back to 1259 when it was listed as Eggerton. The place name literally meant "farmstead of a man called Ecghere," from the Old English personal name + "tun." 1 The suffix "green" was added in the 18th century.

There is another local named Egerton or Egerton (St James) in Kent, a parish, in the union of West Ashford, hundred of Calehill. In this latter case, this place dates back to c.1100 when it was listed as Eardingtun and later as Egarditon in 1203. 1

Some of the family were found in ancient times at Tatton, a township, in the parish of Rosthern, union of Altrincham, hundred of Bucklow. "The seat of the Egertons of Tatton is here. Tatton Park is one of the largest parks in England, and contains from six to seven hundred head of deer. The Egerton family are owners of the entire township." 2

"By the sea side [in Wallasey, Cheshire] is an ancient mansion denominated Mockbeggar Hall, or more properly, Leasowe Castle, formerly a seat of the Egertons." 2

"Worsley Hall [in Worsley, Yorkshire], the seat of the Earl of Ellesmere, is a stately modern structure with an elegant portico, erected on an elevated site which overlooks the park-like grounds, and commands a view into seven counties. The old Hall, seated at the northern extremity of the gardens of the present mansion, was successively the residence of the Worsleys, Masseys, Stanleys, Breretons, and Egertons." 2

Early History of the Egerton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Egerton research. Another 138 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1555, 1579, 1617, 1621, 1623, 1626, 1646, 1649, 1654, 1660, 1663, 1673, 1676, 1681, 1685, 1686, 1687, 1695, 1701, 1711, 1717, 1720, 1723, 1744 and 1746 are included under the topic Early Egerton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Egerton Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Egerton include Egerton, Edgeton, Edgerton and others.

Early Notables of the Egerton family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Stephen Egerton (c. 1555-1621), an English priest, born in London, he was a leading Puritan preacher of his time
John Egerton, 1st Earl of Bridgewater KB, PC (1579-1649), an English peer and politician
John Egerton, 2nd Earl of Bridgewater PC (1623-1686), an English nobleman, Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire (1660-1686), Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire and Lancashire (1673-1676)
Elizabeth Egerton (née Cavendish), Countess of Bridgewater (1626-1663), an English writer
Scroop Egerton, 1st Duke of Bridgewater (1681-1744), Viscount Brackley from 1687 to 1701 and as the Earl of Bridgewater from 1701 to 1720, a British peer and courtier
John Egerton, 3rd Earl of Bridgewater (1646-1701), Member of Parliament for Buckinghamshire (1685-1686)
Henry Egerton (died 1746), British clergyman, Bishop of Hereford (1723-1746)

Egerton Ranking

In the United States, the name Egerton is the 13,796^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Egerton migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Egerton were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Egerton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mr. Egerton, who arrived in Maryland in 1638 4
John Egerton, who arrived in Virginia in 1699 4

Egerton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Egerton, who settled in Virginia in 1726

Egerton migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Egerton Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mr. Richard Egerton, aged 40 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Champion" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 5
Mr. Jacob Egerton, aged 1 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Juliet" departing 3rd July 1847 from London, England; the ship arrived on 28th August 1847 but he died on board 6
Mr. John Egerton, aged 4 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Champion" departing 13th July 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 28th August 1847 but he died on board 6
Miss. Mary Egerton, aged 3 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Champion" departing 13th July 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 28th August 1847 but she died on board 6

Egerton migration to Australia +

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

Egerton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. James Egerton, English convict who was convicted in London, England for life, transported aboard the "Asiatic" on 5th June 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
Mr. William Egerton, English convict who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 8th December 1839, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
Mr. James Egerton, English convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Belgravia" on 4th April 1866, arriving in Western Australia 9

Egerton 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:

Egerton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. George Egerton, (b. 1852), aged 23, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Earl of Zetland" arriving in Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand on 3rd June 1875 10

Egerton migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 11

Egerton Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

William Egerton, aged 20, who arrived in St Christopher in 1635 4
Mr. William Egerton, aged 20 who arrived in St. Kitts (St Christopher) aboard the ship "Amity" in 1635 12
Eleanor Egerton who settled in Barbados in 1691

Contemporary Notables of the name Egerton (post 1700) +

Stephen Egerton (b. 1964), born Stephen Patrick O'Reilly, an American guitarist, producer, mixer, and engineer, best known for his work with Descendents and All
David William Egerton (1961-2021), English rugby union international who represented England from 1988 to 1990
Charles Chandler Egerton (1798-1885), English surgeon, born at his father's vicarage of Thorncombe in Dorsetshire in April 1798
Sir Philip Grey Egerton (1920-2008), 15th Baronet, of Egerton and Oulton, British Army officer and English peer
Sir Philip Grey Egerton (d. 1962), 14th Baronet, British Army officer and English peer
Philip Reginald Egerton (1832-1911), English Church of England priest and schoolmaster, who re-founded Bloxham School in Oxfordshire in 1860
Sir Philip de Malpas Grey Egerton FRS (b. 1806), 10th Baronet, an English palaeontologist and Conservative politician
Ernest Albert Egerton (1897-1966), English soldier, Victoria Cross recipient
Taron David Egerton (b. 1989), British actor, best known for his starring role in the comedy film Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) and Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)
Sir Stephen Loftus Egerton KCMG (1932-2006), British diplomat, British Ambassador to Iraq (1980–1982), British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (1986–1989), British Ambassador to Italy (1989–1992)
... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Egerton 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: Virtute non armis fido
Motto Translation: I trust in virtue not arms

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"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)
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. 27)
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. 74)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/belgravia
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm