Show ContentsBigbee History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Bigbee family

The surname Bigbee was first found in Suffolk and Nottingham where they held a family seat from ancient times, long before the Norman Conquest in 1066.

One source notes that the family could have been from Bigby, a parish, in the union of Caistor, S. division of the wapentake of Yarborough, parts of Lindsey, in Lincolnshire. 1

To the south in Devon, we found this interesting entry for the family: Bigbury [in the parish of Modbury] was held by lords of that name as early as the reign of John ; and after nine descents was brought by a coheiress to one of the Champernownes of Beer Ferrers, from whom it descended through the Willoughbys to the Paulets. There is a fifteenth-century Bigbury brass in the church." 2

Early History of the Bigbee family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bigbee research. Another 53 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1695, 1792 and 1881 are included under the topic Early Bigbee History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bigbee Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Bigbee include Bigsby, Bixby, Bigby, Bigbury, Bigsbury and many more.

Early Notables of the Bigbee family

Notables of this surname at this time include: John Jeremiah Bigsby (1792-1881), English geologist and physician, eponym of the Bigsby Medal; and Sir Thomas Bigsby.Angel Bix (d. 1695), was a Franciscan friar, who "after filling the office...
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bigbee Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bigbee family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Joseph Bixby who settled in Massachusetts in 1620; Robert Bigsby settled in Virginia in 1731; Thomas Bigby settled in Tobago in the West Indies in 1775.


Contemporary Notables of the name Bigbee (post 1700) +

  • Lyle Randolph "Al" Bigbee (1893-1942), American Major League Baseball outfielder and pitcher who played in the 1920s, brother of Carson Bigbee
  • Carson Lee "Skeeter" Bigbee (1895-1964), American Major League Baseball outfielder who played from 1916 to 1926 for the Pittsburgh Pirates
  • John F. Bigbee, American politician, Delegate to New Mexico State Constitutional Convention, 1969 3


The Bigbee 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: Ad astra
Motto Translation: To the stars.


  1. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  2. Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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