Vigil History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy
Spain

The Vigil surname comes from the word "vigil, " which is from the Latin "vigilia," meaning "wakefulness." As a surname, Vigil may have originally been a nickname for someone wakeful or watchful, or it may have come from the town of Vigil, in Asturias, Spain.

Early Origins of the Vigil family

The surname Vigil was first found in Asturias, on the Bay of Biscay, northwestern Spain. Asturias became part of the kingdom of León on the accession of King Alfonso III in 866, and was made a principality in 1388.

Early History of the Vigil family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Vigil research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1586, 1641, 1655, 1664, 1669, 1686, 1694, 1703, 1736, 1738, 1741, 1758 and 1834 are included under the topic Early Vigil History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Vigil Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Vigil, Vgildo, Vigildos and others.

Early Notables of the Vigil family

Prominent among bearers of the Vigil family name at this time was

Álvaro Navia Osorio y Vigil, Viscount of Puerto de Vega and Marquis de Santa Cruz de Marcenado, first commander of the Asturias Infantry Regiment, Spanish Army, created on July 6, 1703

Vigil Ranking

In the United States, the name Vigil is the 1,258^th most popular surname with an estimated 24,870 people with that name. 1

Vigil migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Vigil Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Juan Vigil, who arrived in Havana, Cuba from Gijon, Spain in 1858
Gerardo Vigil, aged 16, who landed in America, in 1893
Ferdinand Vigil, age 19, who arrived at Ellis Island New York from Havana in 1893, aboard the "Cuidad Condal"
Gerardo Vigil, age 16, who arrived at Ellis Island New York in 1893 from Yucatan, Mexico
Cecares Vigil, aged 42, who settled in America, in 1894
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Vigil Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Julio Vigil, aged 23, who immigrated to America, in 1922

Vigil 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. 2

Vigil Settlers in West Indies in the 19th Century

Jose Vigil, who arrived in Havana, Cuba, from Santander, Spain, aboard the "Mozart," in 1852

Contemporary Notables of the name Vigil (post 1700) +

Edward Vigil, American legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado
Carol Jean Vigil (1946-2009), American judge based in the state of New Mexico
J Diego Vigil, American professor in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society, at the University of California, Irvine
Robert Vigil (b. 1953), American, infamous treasurer of the State of New Mexico
Juan N. Vigil, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Senator from New Mexico, 1928; Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Mexico, 1944 3
John Vigil, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Colorado, 1980 3
John Vigil, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Colorado, 1972 3
J. U. Vigil, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Colorado, 1908 3
Diane Vigil, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1996 3
Charles S. Vigil, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Colorado 4th District, 1988 3
... (Another 8 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html