Show ContentsBrigg History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The English surname Brigg derives from the Old Norse word "bryggja." It is the Northern English form of the word bridge. 1 2 Brig(g) is "the northern [England] and Scottish word for bridge." 3

Early Origins of the Brigg family

The surname Brigg was first found in the Rotuli de Oblatis et Finibus, King John where the personal name Brig and de Brug occur. 4

Later in Yorkshire, Robert del Brig was listed there at Wakefield in 1275. 3 Later in Cumberland, Alexander del Brigg was registered in the Subsidy Rolls of 1332. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Hugh ate Brugge and Roger ate Brugge in Oxfordshire while the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Juliana del Bryg, Robertus atte Brig and Ricardus atte Brygg. 5

Between the 11th and 15th century there were numerous recordings of various members of the family name as they flourished in the north and into Scotland. "Duncanus Brigis appears in Murthlac, Banffshire, 1550 and Catherine Brigs was married in Edinburgh, 1611." 6

Early History of the Brigg family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brigg research. Another 147 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1382, 1504, 1560, 1561, 1628, 1630, 1633, 1642, 1668, 1670, 1676, 1677, 1682, 1684, 1704 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Brigg History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brigg Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Brigg, Briggs, Brigge and others.

Early Notables of the Brigg family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was

  • Henry Briggs (c. 1561-1630), an English mathematician, who developed long division and popularized common logarithms, eponym of the Briggs lunar crater and Briggsian logarithms. He "was born at Warley...
  • William Briggs (1642-1704), was an English physician and oculist, born at Norwich, for which city his father, Augustine Briggs, was four times M.P. At thirteen he was entered at Corpus Christi, Cambri...

Ireland Migration of the Brigg family to Ireland

Some of the Brigg family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 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 Brigg migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Brigg Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Clement Brigg, who arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621 7
  • Henry Brigg, who arrived in Virginia in 1622 7
  • Geo Brigg, who landed in Virginia in 1663 7
  • John Brigg, who landed in Maryland in 1677 7
Brigg Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Brigg, who landed in America in 1753

Canada Brigg migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Brigg Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Andrew Brigg, who settled in Saint John Island in 1775

New Zealand Brigg migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Brigg Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • John A. Brigg, aged 37, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Soukar" in 1874
  • Elizabeth Brigg, aged 40, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Soukar" in 1874


The Brigg 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: Fortiter et Fideliter
Motto Translation: Boldly and faithfully.


  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  2. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. 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)
  7. 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)


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