Show ContentsEdge History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Edge name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived near a prominent cliff or ridge; on a hillside. [1] [2]

Early Origins of the Edge family

The surname Edge 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 Edge family

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

Edge Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Edge has undergone many spelling variations, including Edge, Edges, Egge, Eadge, Eadges, Egg, Eage, Egges, Eggs and many more.

Early Notables of the Edge family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Edge of Cheshire

Edge Ranking

In the United States, the name Edge is the 3,010th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. [10] However, in the United Kingdom, the name Edge is ranked the 841st most popular surname with an estimated 8,031 people with that name. [11]

Ireland Migration of the Edge family to Ireland

Some of the Edge 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.


United States Edge migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Edge were among those contributors:

Edge Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Robert Edge, aged 25, who arrived in New England aboard the ship "Hopewell", settled in Boston in 1635
  • Mrs. Edge with her family who arrived in Virginia in 1637
  • Tho Edge, who landed in Virginia in 1637 [12]
  • Henry Edge, who arrived in Virginia in 1658 [12]
  • Richard Edge, who landed in Maryland in 1660-1664 [12]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Edge Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Edge, who landed in Virginia in 1705 [12]
  • John Edge, who landed in America in 1765 [12]
Edge Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • A Edge, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 [12]
  • C B Edge, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 [12]
  • W L D Edge, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 [12]

Canada Edge migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Edge Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mrs. Mary Edge U.E. who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1784 [13]

Australia Edge migration to Australia +

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

Edge Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • William Edge, English convict from Kent, who was transported aboard the "Agamemnon" on April 22, 1820, settling in New South Wales, Australia [14]
  • Mr. Joseph Edge, English convict who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Chapman" on 12th April 1826, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [15]
  • Mr. George Edge, English convict who was convicted in St. Albans, Herfordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 27th April 1833, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [16]
  • Mr. Peter Edge, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 8th July 1840, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [17]
  • Mr. Robert Edge, English convict who was convicted in Swaffham, Breckland District, Norfolk, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 27th August 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [18]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Edge 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:

Edge Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Jacob Edge, aged 33, a shoemaker, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alma" in 1857
  • Mary A. Edge, aged 35, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alma" in 1857
  • Hannah Edge, aged 6, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alma" in 1857
  • George Edge, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rob Roy" in 1865
  • William Edge, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rob Roy" in 1865
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Edge (post 1700) +

  • Walter Evans Edge (1873-1956), American politician, two-time Governor of New Jersey
  • Rosalie Barrow Edge (1877-1962), American environmentalist
  • John T. Edge, American food writer and commentator
  • Claude "Butch" Lee Edge (b. 1956), American Major League Baseball player
  • Walter Evans Edge (1873-1956), American Republican politician, Governor of New Jersey, 1917-19, 1944-47; Resigned 1919; U.S. Senator from New Jersey, 1919-29; U.S. Ambassador to France, 1929-33 [19]
  • Tracy Edge, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from South Carolina, 2008 [19]
  • Kenneth Edge, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Iowa, 1956 [19]
  • J. W. Edge, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Iowa, 1960 [19]
  • Graeme Charles Edge (1941-2021), English musician, songwriter, and poet, best known as the co-founder and drummer of the English band the Moody Blues, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
  • Lewis John Spencer Edge (b. 1987), English professional footballer
  • ... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

RMS Titanic
  • Mr. Frederick William Edge (d. 1912), aged 37, English Deck Steward from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking [20]


  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  5. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  6. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  7. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  8. 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.
  9. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  10. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  11. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  12. 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)
  13. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  14. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Agamemnon voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1820 with 179 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/agamemnon/1820
  15. Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 28th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/chapman
  16. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
  17. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
  18. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
  19. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  20. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook