The ancient roots of the Bigraves family name are in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Bigraves comes from when the family lived in Hertfordshire, where they held lands and a family seat at Bygrave. Originally the surname was derived from the Old English word biggrafau which meant dweller by the ditch. This name is a toponymic, surname, which is derived from nearby geographical features.
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Early Origins of the Bigraves family
The surname Bigraves was first found in Hertfordshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Bygrave in that shire. The name in Saxon was "Biggrafan" having nothing to do with the grave or being by a grave. Before the Norman Conquest Leommaer Bygrave held a family seat at Bygrave in the year 1015, and most likely gave his name to the village of that name. At the time of the taking of the Domesday Book the Bygraves held their land which consisted of a village and a mill from the Bishop of Chester.
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Early History of the Bigraves family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bigraves research. Another 97 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1312, 1586, 1610, 1643 and 1680 are included under the topic Early Bigraves History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Bigraves Spelling Variations
One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Bigraves has appeared include Bygrove, Bygroves, Bygrave, Bygraves, Bigrove, Bigroves, Bigrave, Bigraves, Bargrave and many more.
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Early Notables of the Bigraves family
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bigraves Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Bigraves family
At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Bigraves arrived in North America very early: Elizabeth Bygrave who landed in Virginia in 1624.
England
