Brugge History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The distinguished surname Brugge emerged among the industrious people of Flanders, which was an important trading partner and political ally of Britain during the Middle Ages. As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Flemish surnames of this type frequently are prefixed by de la or de le, which mean of the or from the. The Brugge family originally lived near a bridge. The surname is derived from the Old English word brycg, which means bridge, and was sometimes also applied as an occupational name to a bridge-keeper. 1 The name Brugge is occasionally derived from residence in Bruges, a town in Flanders.

Early Origins of the Brugge family

The surname Brugge was first found in Somerset where there is evidence of a family of this name from Bruges of Flemish origin. These Bruges, or Bridges settled mostly in the south west counties of Somerset, Gloucestershire and later Hereford. One of the first listings of the name was of Robert atte Brugge and William atte Brugge who resided in Gloucester during the reign of King Edward III (1327-until his death.)

Gilbert atte Brigge was listed in Surrey in 1272 and later the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire include and entry for Nicholas de la Brugge. William ater Bregg was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296 and in Suffolk, Roger del Brigge was listed there in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327. The Curia Regis Rolls for Oxfordshire include an entry for William de Bruges, de Brieges in 1205. 2

Walter le Briggere was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Somerset in 1327 and Walter Bregger was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327. John Bruger was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls for Surrey in 1332. John le Bruggere, also called John de Ponte lived at Bridge End in Ockham Surrey in 1294. 2 Ponte is the French word meaning "bridge."

Years later, Giles Bruges (Brydges) had his manor of Archer-Stoke in Gloucestershire seized during the reign of King Edward IV (1461-1470.) 3

Another branch of the family was found at Horton in the West Riding of Yorkshire. "At a short distance from the Hall, is the seat of Francis Sharp Bridges, Esq., a descendant from a younger branch of the same family, who were zealous adherents of the royal cause in the civil war, and of whom John Sharp was severely wounded in an engagement with the parliamentarian forces." 4

In Scotland, the family's arrival there was much later as John Bridge was listed in Drum, 1658, and John Brig in Drum, 1691. "Throughout the country Brigg is in common speech the pronunciation of Bridge. Duncanus Brigis appears in Murthlac, Banffshire, 1550." 5

Early History of the Brugge family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brugge research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1378, 1427, 1462, 1491, 1493, 1497, 1511, 1548, 1552, 1557, 1564, 1578, 1594, 1595, 1602, 1614, 1617, 1620, 1621, 1624, 1625, 1626, 1628, 1639, 1642, 1646, 1655, 1682, 1683, 1685, 1702 and 1714 are included under the topic Early Brugge History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brugge Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Bridge, Bridges, Briddge and others.

Early Notables of the Brugge family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Simon de Brugge, High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1378
Thomas Brugge, de jure 5th Baron Chandos (1427-1493) an English peer
Giles Brugge of Cubberley, 6th Baron Chandos (c. 1462-1511), English soldier, knighted for his actions at the Battle of Blackheath (1497)

Migration of the Brugge family to Ireland

Some of the Brugge family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brugge migration to the United States +

Early records show that people bearing the name Brugge arrived in North America quite early:

Brugge Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joh Carl Brugge, aged 17, who arrived in America in 1814 6
Joh Brugge, who landed in America in 1845 6
Gerh Heinr Andreas Brugge, who arrived in America in 1846 6
Mrs. M Van Brugge, who landed in Iowa in 1866 6
Maarten Van Brugge, who arrived in Iowa in 1866 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Brugge Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Carl Brugge, aged 100, who landed in America from London, England, in 1908
Fred P. Brugge, aged 23, who immigrated to the United States, in 1916
Lawrence Brugge, aged 19, who landed in America, in 1916
Ruth M. Brugge, aged 24, who landed in America, in 1916
John Brugge, aged 19, who immigrated to the United States, in 1918
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Brugge 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: Je garderay
Motto Translation: I watch over.

Citations +

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)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, 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)
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)