Show ContentsIllig History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Anglo-Saxon name Illig comes from when the family resided in the area referred to as Illide Green in the county of Cheshire. This place-name was originally derived from the Anglo-Norman French word isle or ile, which means islet and the Old English word lache, which means a lake. Therefore the original bearers of the surname Illig lived near an islet located by a lake.

Early Origins of the Illig family

The surname Illig was first found in Suffolk, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Illig family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Illig research. Another 171 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1188, 1500, 1799 and 1851 are included under the topic Early Illig History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Illig Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Illig has been recorded under many different variations, including Illege, Illedge, Iledge, Ilege, Illega, Illige, Illidge, Illges, Ilige and many more.

Early Notables of the Illig family

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


United States Illig migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Illig or a variant listed above:

Illig Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Hans Rudolph Illig, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 1
  • Johan Philip Illig, aged 36, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1739 1
Illig Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Phil Illig, who arrived in America in 1854 1
  • Philipp Illig, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1860 1
  • Johannes Illig, who landed in Indiana in 1869 1


The Illig 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: Aquila non captat muscas
Motto Translation: The eagle is no fly-catcher.


  1. 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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