Show ContentsSt'leger History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The majestic country of France is the ancestral homeland of the distinguished surname St'leger.The earliest forms of hereditary surnames in France were the patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. The patronyms were derived from a variety of given names that were of many different origins. As well as the names of the saints of the Christian Church, many of the most common French surnames are derived from personal names of Germanic origin. They derive from the language of the Visigoths, who controlled France between the mid-5th and early 8th centuries. The name St'leger is derived from the Old German personal name Leodegar, meaning people-spear, although it derives its popularity from the saint who bore the name.

Early Origins of the St'leger family

The surname St'leger was first found in Burgundy (French: Bourgogne), an administrative and historical region of east-central France, where the family has held a family seat since early times.

"Sir Robert Sent Legere, Knt., the companion-in-arms of [William the] Conqueror, was, according to a tradition in the family, the person who supported that prince with his arm when be quitted the ship to land in Sussex [England]. This Sir Robert, having overcome a pagan Dane who inhabited the manor of Olcomb, in Kent, fixed his abode there; and in that place his posterity flourished for many generations." 1

Early History of the St'leger family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our St'leger research. Another 129 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1398, 1546, 1593, 1638 and 1647 are included under the topic Early St'leger History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

St'leger Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Saint-Léger, Saint-Ligier, Saint-Légers, Saint-Ligiers, Saint-Légere, Saint-Ligiays, Saint-Légay, Saint-Légais, Saint-Légait, de Saint-Léger, du Saint-Léger, de Saint-Ligier, du Saint-Ligier and many more.

Early Notables of the St'leger family

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


United States St'leger migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

St'leger Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William St. Leger, who settled in New Orleans in 1823

Contemporary Notables of the name St'leger (post 1700) +

  • Francis Barry Boyle St. Leger (1799-1829), Irish novelist, the second eldest son of Richard St. Leger (second son of the first Viscount Doneraile)


  1. Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.


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