Bug History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland

The name Bug reached England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Bug family lived in Dorset. The family's name, however, is reference to Buge, Normandy, their place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. 1

Alternatively the name could have been derived from the Saxon names Bucge and Bogue. 2 Another source continues this postulation, noting the "Anglo - Saxon landholders named Buga and Bugga, and that these names, together with Bucge, are also ancient German names. In fact, at the present day we find Bugge as a surname both in Germany and Scandinavia. " 3

Early Origins of the Bug family

The surname Bug was first found in Dorset, where "the family of Bugg, of the vicinity of Sherborne, have probably an ancestor in John Bugge, who owned land in West Tyneham some time in the 16th century. Both Bugg and Bugge were not uncommon names in Oxfordshire in the reign of Edward I. "3

This same source notes that "we learn from Deering's "Nottingham," that in the reign of Mary I., the Bugges, as Merchants of the Staple, were persons of considerable note in the town of Nottingham. " 3

But the family was far more widespread and prevalent in the early years, than the aforementioned localization. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed: Bate Bugge, Yorkshire; William Bugge, Oxfordshire; and Osberne Bugge, Oxfordshire. The early Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Willelmus Bugge; Robertus Bugg; and Johannes Bugg, 1379 as all holding lands there at that time. 4

Early History of the Bug family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bug research. Another 150 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1548, 1592, 1640, 1724 and 1751 are included under the topic Early Bug History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bug Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Bug family name include Bugge, Bug, Buge, Bugg, Buggs, Buggy, Buggie and others.

Early Notables of the Bug family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Francis Bugg (1640-1724?), English writer against Quakerism, of whose life no authentic account remains, is only known from his own writings or those of his opponents...

Migration of the Bug family to Ireland

Some of the Bug family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bug migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Bug family to immigrate North America:

Bug Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Henrig Bug, who landed in New York in 1709 5
Archibald Bug, who arrived in North Carolina in 1740 5
Archibald Bug, who settled in North Carolina in 1732-1776

Bug Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Martin Bug, who arrived in St Clair County, Illinois in 1856 5

Citations +

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)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)