Show ContentsBagg History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient Anglo-Saxon culture once found in Britain is the soil from which the many generations of the Bagg family have grown. The name Bagg was given to a member of the family who was a person who was a peddler, or great traveler. It denotes one who on his travels carried a bag, a pack or a bundle.

Early Origins of the Bagg family

The surname Bagg was first found in Norfolk, at Gaywood, a parish, in the union and hundred of Freebridge-Lynn. "Gaywood Hall, the seat of Richard Bagge, Esq., occupies the site of a palace erected by John Grey, Bishop of Norwich; and part of the moat by which the old building was surrounded is still remaining." [1]

Early History of the Bagg family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bagg research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1560, 1600, 1625, 1800 and 1860 are included under the topic Early Bagg History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bagg Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Bagg family name include Bagg, Bag, Bagge, Beag, Baigg, Baggey, Baggy and many more.

Early Notables of the Bagg family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Thomas Bagge of Stradsett Hall

Ireland Migration of the Bagg family to Ireland

Some of the Bagg family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Bagg migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Bagg surname or a spelling variation of the name include :

Bagg Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Bagg, who landed in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1613 [2]
  • Bert Bagg, who settled in New York State in 1664
  • Thomas Bagg, who arrived in Maryland in 1673 [2]
Bagg Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Malts Mattson Bagg, who landed in Colorado in 1890 [2]
  • John Bagg, aged 35, who settled in America, in 1894
  • Aaron Bagg, aged 56, who landed in America, in 1895
  • Carrie Bagg, aged 3, who settled in America, in 1895
  • Alfred Bagg, aged 23, who immigrated to America, in 1896
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Bagg Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Eliza C. Bagg, aged 48, who immigrated to the United States, in 1906
  • Hellen Louise Bagg, aged 4, who immigrated to the United States from London, in 1906
  • Dr. Chas. T. Bagg, who landed in America, in 1907
  • Ellen Louise Bagg, aged 30, who landed in America from St. Peter Port, England, in 1909
  • Alice Bagg, aged 48, who landed in America, in 1913
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Bagg migration to Australia +

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

Bagg Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • John Dinent Bagg, aged 18, a labourer, who arrived in Holdfast Bay, Australia aboard the ship "Africaine" in 1836 [3]
  • Mr. William Bagg, English convict who was convicted in Dorset, England for 15 years, transported aboard the "David Clarke" on 3rd June 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [4]

Contemporary Notables of the name Bagg (post 1700) +

  • Allen H. Bagg, American politician, Mayor of Pittsfield, Massachusetts
  • Robert Bagg (b. 1935), American poet and translator
  • Sylvester Bagg, American politician, Circuit Judge in Iowa 9th District, 1869-78; District Judge in Iowa 9th District, 1879-82
  • Joseph H. Bagg, American politician, Delegate to Michigan State Constitutional Convention, 1850
  • John S. Bagg, American politician, Postmaster at Detroit, Michigan, 1845-49
  • Elijah Bagg, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Columbia County, 1845
  • Cameron Bagg (b. 1963), Canadian paranormal investigator
  • Rob Bagg (b. 1985), Canadian CFL football wide receiver for the Saskatchewan Roughriders


The Bagg 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: Spes est in Deo
Motto Translation: My hope is in God.


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. 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)
  3. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) AFRICAINE 1836. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1836Africaine.htm
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd June 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/david-clarke


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