Eages History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancient roots of the Eages family name are in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Eages comes from when the family lived near a prominent cliff or ridge; on a hillside. 1 2

Early Origins of the Eages family

The surname Eages was first found in Worcestershire where Henry del Egge was listed in the Assize Rolls of 1221. A few years later, John de Egge was listed in the Assize Rolls for Cheshire in 1260 and atte Egge was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire in 1327. 3

The original Edge family probably lived on the side of a hill and were described by the Saxon word "ecg" which meant "edge." After the Norman invasion of England in 1066 the surname was usually spelled "Egge." 1 4

Edge is a township, in the parish of Malpas, union of Great Boughton, higher division of the hundred of Broxton in Cheshire; a tything, in the parish of Painswick, union of Stroud, hundred of Bisley, in Gloucestershire; and a township, in the parish of Pontesbury, union of Atcham, hundred of Ford, S. division of the county of Salop (Shropshire.) 5 Another source claims "a location name in Yorkshire," 6 but we cannot trace this.

"The name of Edge is well represented in the Derby district. Several of the boroughreeves of Manchester bore this name last century." 7

In Somerset, early records there show Robert atte Egge and Is (?Isabel) atte Egge, Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 8 Only one entry was found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, that of John de Egge, Salop and similarly in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, Agnes del Egge. 9

In Lancashire, the Lay Subsidy Rolls record Henry del Egge of Withington, Lancashire, 1332; and John del Egge, of Reddish, Lancashire, 1332. "Therefore the Lancashire Edges probably hailed from Alderley Edge." 9

Early History of the Eages family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Eages research. Another 66 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1260 is included under the topic Early Eages History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Eages 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 Eages has appeared include Edge, Edges, Egge, Eadge, Eadges, Egg, Eage, Egges, Eggs and many more.

Early Notables of the Eages family

More information is included under the topic Early Eages Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Eages family to Ireland

Some of the Eages family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Eages 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 Eages arrived in North America very early: Robert Edge who settled in Boston in 1635; and Thomas Edge who brought his wife and family to Virginia in 1637.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. 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)