Show ContentsWiggin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient and distinguished surname Wiggin indicates "son of Wigand," a personal name derived from the Breton name "Wiucon," meaning "high and noble." 1 This name was introduced into England at the time of the Norman Conquest of 1066. Singular forms of the name were still found in Normandy as late as 1198: Radulphus Wigan; and Richard Wiguen. 2

Early Origins of the Wiggin family

The surname Wiggin was first found in the county of Cambridgeshire, where one named Wighen 3 was listed in the Domesday Book in 1086. Another early bearer of the name was Radulfus filius Wigein, who was living in Leicestershire in 1163. 4

Alternatively, the family could have originated in Wigan a parish, borough, and markettown, which has separate jurisdiction, and the head of a union, chiefly in the hundred of West Derby. 5 6 7

"This place is stated by Camden to have been originally called Wibiggin. The nucleus of the town is supposed by Whitaker to have been a Saxon castle, but its origin should perhaps be assigned to a still earlier period, as three Roman roads unite here. The vicinity is said to have been the scene of some sanguinary battles between the Britons, under their renowned King Arthur, and the Saxons; and the discovery, about the middle of the 18th century, of a large quantity of human bones, and the bones and shoes of horses, over an extensive tract of ground near the town, tends to confirm this opinion. " 5

Very early records also show the following forename entries that phonetically match early Latin entries, but these forenames have been lost over time: Wyranus Man-seal; Wuganus de Wyleby; and Wygan le Bretun, Essex. 8

Early History of the Wiggin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wiggin research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1279, 1379, 1592, 1631, 1632, 1633, 1637, 1667, 1696, 1731, 1732, 1738 and 1739 are included under the topic Early Wiggin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wiggin Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wiggin, Wiggins, Wigan, Wigans, Wiegand, Wigand, Wigens and many more.

Early Notables of the Wiggin family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Captain Thomas Wiggin (Wiggins, Wiggan, or Wiggans) (1592-1667), the 1st Governor of the Upper Plantation of New Hampshire (1633?-1637.) He was born in Bishops Itchington, Warwickshire and arrived in...

Wiggin Ranking

In the United States, the name Wiggin is the 12,918th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 9

Ireland Migration of the Wiggin family to Ireland

Some of the Wiggin family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Wiggin migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wiggin Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Captain Thomas Wiggin (1592-1667), who settled in New England in 1630 and became the first governor of the Upper Plantation of New Hampshire
  • Thomas Wiggin, who landed in New Hampshire in 1631 10
  • Katherine Wiggin, who sailed to Boston in 1633
  • Tho Wiggin, aged 21, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Primrose" 10
  • Ann Wiggin, who arrived in Maryland in 1637 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Wiggin Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Lawrence Wiggin, who settled in Maryland in 1742
  • James Wiggin, who settled in Maryland in 1774
Wiggin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Richard Wiggin, who landed in America in 1800 10
  • Sarah Wiggin, who immigrated to Boston in 1848
  • C L Wiggin, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 10

Australia Wiggin migration to Australia +

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

Wiggin Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Charles Wiggin, English convict who was convicted in Birmingham, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 30th September 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 11

Contemporary Notables of the name Wiggin (post 1700) +

  • Samuel Adams Wiggin (1832-1899), American poet
  • Paul Wiggin (b. 1934), former American NFL football player
  • Albert Henry Wiggin (1868-1951), American banker
  • Kate Douglas Wiggin (1856-1923), American educator and author children's stories
  • Joseph Wiggin, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Massachusetts, 1936 12
  • J. Walker Wiggin, American Republican politician, Delegate to New Hampshire State Constitutional Convention from Manchester 1st Ward, 1948; Candidate for New Hampshire State Senate 16th District, 1948 12
  • Guy M. Wiggin, American Republican politician, Member of New Hampshire State House of Representatives from Dover 1st Ward; Elected 1956 12
  • George Wiggin, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Delegate to New Hampshire State Constitutional Convention from Albany, 1902 12
  • G. S. Wiggin, American Republican politician, Mayor of Rockland, Maine, 1858-66 12
  • Charles T. Wiggin, American politician, Representative from New Hampshire 1st District, 1900 12
  • ... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  6. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  7. 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)
  8. Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
  9. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  10. 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)
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th November 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
  12. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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