Show ContentsHogge History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The first people to use the name Hogge were Vikings who settled in ancient Scotland in the medieval period. Hogge was a name for a careful and prudent person. While in England, this name is derived from the animal and there it is a metonymic surname (a surname derived from the principle object associated with a trade or occupation), in Scotland it is derived from the Old English word hoga, which means "prudent." A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favoured style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character. [1]

While this is the generally accepted origin of the name, one source claims the name was Norman as in 1040, Hubert de Hoga granted lands to Cerisy Abbey, Cerisy-la-Forêt, Manche, France. [2]

Early Origins of the Hogge family

The surname Hogge was first found in Durham, but by the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, the family was scattered throughout England. The rolls included: Alice le Hog, Oxfordshire; Philip le Hog, Kent; and Peter Hog, Yorkshire. [3]

In Somerset, there were two listings of the family 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III): Nicholas Hogg; and Oliver le Hogg. [4]

In Scotland where the most numerous records of the family were found, the first record was "about the year 1280, [when] Andrew Fraser gave to the Abbey of Kelso a bondman, Adam the son of Henry del Hoga (i.e. 'of the Hog') 'nativo meo cum tota sequela sua' (Kelso, p. 95). In the year 1250, mention is made of the croft of Henry de Hoga in Gordun, Berwickshire and c. 1270 John de Grantham, son and heir of Emma, the daughter and heir of Salomon del Hoga, made a grant from her lands at Berwick, which Radulph de Bernewill held, to the monks of Kelso. Again, about 1280 there is mention of the croft which Adam del Hoga held in the time of Lady Alycie de Gordun. Thurcyl hoga is one of the witnesses to a charter of Cnut, 1024 (Kemble, Codex Dipl., IV, 741). The spelling of the name here, Hoga, the earliest record of its occurrence, certainly points to Old English hoga, 'careful,' 'prudent,' as origin of the name at least in this instance." [5]

Sir James Weir Hogg, 1st Baronet (1790-1876) the famous businessman, lawyer and politician was born in Northern Ireland, but his family originally hailed from Swinton, Berwickshire. This baronetcy of Upper Grosvenor Street in the County of London survived until 1957.

Early History of the Hogge family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hogge research. Another 434 words (31 lines of text) covering the years 1294, 1296, 1358, 1363, 1370, 1379, 1402, 1462, 1529, 1543, 1583, 1628, 1635, 1658, 1661, 1680, 1692, 1700, 1734, 1745, 1770, 1792, 1835, 1862 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Hogge History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hogge Spelling Variations

Translation and spelling were non-standardized practices in the Middle Ages, so scribes had only their ears to rely on. This was a practice of extremely limited efficiency, and spelling variations in names, even within a single document, were the result. Over the years, Hogge has appeared Hogg, Hogge, Hoag, Hogue, Hoig and others.

Early Notables of the Hogge family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was

  • Ralf Hogge, an English iron-master and gun founder to the king; he succeeded in casting the first iron cannon in England in 1543 and known to have later built Hogge House in the village of Buxted, Eas...

Hogge Ranking

In the United States, the name Hogge is the 16,498th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [6]

Ireland Migration of the Hogge family to Ireland

Some of the Hogge family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 73 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 Hogge migration to the United States +

The fertile east coast of what would become US and Canada was soon dotted with the farms of Scottish settlers. Some of them remained faithful to the crown and called themselves United Empire Loyalists, while others had the chance to pay back their old oppressors in the American War of Independence. That brave spirit lives on today in the highland games that dot North America in the summer. Passenger and immigration lists indicate that members of the Hogge family came to North America quite early:

Hogge Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Lawrence Hogge, who arrived in Virginia in 1657 [7]
Hogge Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • John Hogge, who landed in America in 1795 [7]
Hogge Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Wm. Hogge, aged 35, who arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "Orizaba" from Havana, Cuba [8]
  • Mary Hogge, aged 26, originally from Dumfries, who arrived in New York City in 1894 aboard the ship "City of Rome" from Greenock, Derry [8]
  • Anila Hogge, aged 7, originally from Dumfries, who arrived in New York City in 1894 aboard the ship "City of Rome" from Greenock, Derry [8]
Hogge Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Chas. S. Hogge, aged 31, who arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "Olympic" from Southampton, England [8]
  • May Hogge, aged 66, originally from Palmer's Green, England, who arrived in New York in 1924 aboard the ship "Olympic" from Southampton, England [8]

Contemporary Notables of the name Hogge (post 1700) +

  • Norma Hogge, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kentucky, 1972 [9]
  • Becky Hogge (b. 1979), British music and technology writer
  • Dr. Donna Hogge MD, PhD, FRCPC, Canadian Senior Scientist, Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia
  • James Myles Hogge (1873-1928), Scottish social researcher and Liberal politician, Member of Parliament for Edinburgh East (1912-1924)


The Hogge 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: Dat gloria vires
Motto Translation: Glory gives strength.


  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  2. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. 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.
  5. 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)
  6. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  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)
  8. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
  9. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook