Gruggen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

All Irish surnames have a unique and often romantic meaning. The name Gruggen originally appeared in Gaelic as "O Grugain," which is derived from either "gruag," which means "hair," and "grug," which means "fierceness."

Early Origins of the Gruggen family

The surname Gruggen was first found in County Roscommon (Irish: Ros Comáin) located in central Ireland in the province of Connacht, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the Gruggen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gruggen research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1172 is included under the topic Early Gruggen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gruggen Spelling Variations

Because early scribes and church officials often spelled names as they sounded, a person could have many various spellings of his name.Many different spelling variations of the surname Gruggen were found in the archives researched. These included Grogan, O'Grogan, Grogen, Groogen, Grugen, Groggan, O'Groogan and many more.

Early Notables of the Gruggen family

More information is included under the topic Early Gruggen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gruggen family

In the 18th and 19th centuries, thousands of Irish families fled an Ireland that was forcibly held through by England through its imperialistic policies. A large portion of these families crossed the Atlantic to the shores of North America. The fate of these families depended on when they immigrated and the political allegiances they showed after they arrived. Settlers that arrived before the American War of Independence may have moved north to Canada at the war's conclusion as United Empire Loyalists. Such Loyalists were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Those that fought for the revolution occasionally gained the land that the fleeing Loyalist vacated. After this period, free land and an agrarian lifestyle were not so easy to come by in the East. So when seemingly innumerable Irish immigrants arrived during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s, free land for all was out of the question. These settlers were instead put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Whenever they came, Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name Gruggen or a variant listed above, including: Alexander Grogan settled in Virginia in 1652; Charles, James, Jeremiah, John, Michael, Nathaniel Grogan, all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860.

The Gruggen 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: Honor et virtus
Motto Translation: Honour and virtue.