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Wigg History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Wigg History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Wigg family

The surname Wigg was first found in Leicestershire at either Wigston Magna or Wigston Parva. Both parishes date back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where they were listed as Wichingestone and Wicestan, respectively. 1

Wigston Magna literally means "farmstead or estate of a man called Wicing," from the Old English Viking name + "tun." "Magna" means "great." 2

Wigston Parva literally meant "rocking-stone," from the Old English "wigga" + "stan." 2

Anther source notes that the word "Wigston" means "Wigg's (Stone) Castle. Wig, a descendant of Woden (who probably in the 3rd cent. A.D.), was an ancestor of the kings of Wessex." 3

"Wig occurs in the ancestry of Cerdic, king of the West Saxons, and Wiga is found in the Domesday of Yorkshire. Hence perhaps Wigson, Wigget, Wiggin, &c.' 4

The name is rather rare in early rolls. The source "Early London Personal Names" includes Ailmar Wigga, c. 1130, while the Pipe Rolls of Essex list Walter Wigge in 1204. 5

Early History of the Wigg family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wigg research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1404, 1548, 1564 and 1597 are included under the topic Early Wigg History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wigg Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wigston, Wigeton, Wiggeton, Wiggstone, Wigstone, Wigton, Wixton, Wickston, Wigginton, Wiggington, Wiginton, Wigginton, Wiginston, Wigingston and many more.

Early Notables of the Wigg family

Notables of the family at this time include

Giles Wigginton (fl. 1564-1597), an English divine, born at Oundle in Northamptonshire, was educated at Cambridge, under the patronage of Sir Walter Mildmay6...

Wigg migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wigg Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Wigg, aged 24, who arrived in Virginia in 1634 aboard the ship "Bonaventure" coming via St. Domingo 7
Robert Wigg, who landed in Virginia in 1638 7
William Wigg, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 7
Ann Wigg, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 7
Timothy Wigg, who landed in Virginia in 1659 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wigg Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Charles Wigg, aged 60, originally from Burnham Buckinghamshire, England, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "San Pablo" from Glasgow, Scotland 8
Margaret J. Wigg, aged 40, originally from Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, who arrived in New York City, New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Mauretania" from Southampton, England 8

Wigg migration to Australia +

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

Wigg Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Edgar Smith Wigg, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "William Hyde" in 1849 9
Edward Wigg, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "William Hyde" in 1849 9
Fanny Wigg, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "William Hyde" in 1849 9
Margaret Sarah Wigg, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "William Hyde" in 1849 9
Walton Wigg, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "William Hyde" in 1849 9

Wigg 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:

Wigg Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Robert Wigg, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Light Brigade" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th August 1868 10

Contemporary Notables of the name Wigg (post 1700) +

Lilly Wigg (1749-1828), English botanist, born at Smallburgh, Norfolk, the son of a poor shoemaker in that village 11
The Rt Rev Montagu John Stone- Wigg (1861-1918), English Anglican Colonial Bishop, Bishop of New Guinea (1898–1908)
Simon Wigg (1960-2000), English speedway, grasstrack and Longtrack rider, runner-up in the Speedway World Championship in 1989
Ron Wigg (1949-1997), English professional football striker
Charles Mayes Wigg (1889-1969), English artist
Edgar Smith Wigg (1818-1899), English-born, Australian immigrant to Port Adelaide in 1849 and rose to become a South Australian bookseller and stationer, founder of the firm E. S. Wigg and Son
George Edward Cecil Wigg (1900-1983), Baron Wigg PC was a British politician
Dr. Alfred Edgar Wigg (1857-1914), South Australian medical practitioner, son of Edgar Smith Wigg
Edward Neale Wigg (1847-1927), Australian businessman, book shop owner and later major investor and director in various Australian mining companies including Broken Hill Proprietary, son of Edgar Smith Wigg

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
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)
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)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) WILLIAM HYDE 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849WilliamHyde.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 31 Jan. 2019