Show ContentsPegram History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient name Pegram is a Norman name that would have been developed in England after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. This name was a name given to a person who had made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land or some devotional area in Europe such as the tomb of St. Thomas a Beckett at Canterbury.

Early Origins of the Pegram family

The surname Pegram was first found in Norfolk, where the family held lands after the Norman Conquest. Robert, John, and Thomas Pelerin were all registered in Normandy between 1180 and 1195.

Early History of the Pegram family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pegram research. Another 44 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1189, 1200 and 1273 are included under the topic Early Pegram History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pegram Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Pilgrim, Pilgrime, Pilgram, Pegram, Pegrem, Pelerin, Peregrine and many more.

Early Notables of the Pegram family

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

Pegram Ranking

In the United States, the name Pegram is the 8,110th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]

Ireland Migration of the Pegram family to Ireland

Some of the Pegram family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Pegram migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Pegram or a variant listed above:

Pegram Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Edward Pegram, who landed in America in 1699 [2]
Pegram Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Michael Pegram, who arrived in Mississippi in 1840 [2]

Contemporary Notables of the name Pegram (post 1700) +

  • George Braxton Pegram (1876-1958), American physicist who played a key role in the technical administration of the Manhattan Project
  • William Howell Pegram (1846-1928), American chemist and educator
  • Billy Pegram, American author of books on photographic technique
  • George Herndon Pegram (1855-1937), American engineer who patented the Pegram truss
  • John Pegram (1773-1831), U.S. Representative from Virginia and a major general during the War of 1812
  • Erric Demont Pegram (b. 1969), retired professional American football player
  • General John Pegram (1832-1865), American career soldier from Virginia
  • James W. Pegram, American politician, Delegate to Whig National Convention from Virginia, 1839 (member, Committee to Notify Nominees) [3]
  • J. Ed Pegram, American Democratic Party politician, Member of North Carolina State House of Representatives from Durham County, 1915-16 [3]
  • George W. Pegram, American politician, Member of North Carolina House of Commons from Cumberland County, 1846-51 [3]
  • ... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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