Show ContentsWrygge History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient roots of the Wrygge family name are in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Wrygge comes from when the family lived in Cumberland and Lancashire. This local name was derived from the local at the ridge or near a ridge. There are a variety of types of local surnames, some of which include: topographic surnames, which could be given to a person who lived beside any physical feature, such as a hill, stream, church or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. The surname Wrygge comes from the Old English word rigge, or the Old English word hrycg, both of which mean ridge. 1 2

Early Origins of the Wrygge family

The surname Wrygge was first found in Shropshire where William de Rigge was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1197-1198. Later and further to the north, John del Rigg was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls for 1332 in Cumberland. 3

Early History of the Wrygge family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wrygge research. Another 148 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1410, 1567, 1591, 1601, 1602, 1612, 1613, 1635 and 1705 are included under the topic Early Wrygge History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wrygge Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Wrygge has appeared include Rigge, Rigg, Riggs and others.

Early Notables of the Wrygge family

Distinguished members of the family include Robert Rigge, Rygge or Rugge (died 1410), English Chancellor of the University of Oxford, a native of Devonshire, and possibly a relative of Thomas de Bitton, bishop of Exeter. 4Ambrose Rigg or Rigge (1635-1705), was an English Quaker, born at Brampton in Westmorland. He and his companion Thomas Robertson went to Rochester...
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wrygge Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Wrygge family to Ireland

Some of the Wrygge 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.

Migration of the Wrygge family

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Wrygge arrived in North America very early: William Rigg, who settled in New Jersey in 1685; along with Eupham; John and Thomas Rigges settled in Virginia in 1663; Richard Riggs settled in Virginia in 1637.



The Wrygge 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: Dum vivo cano
Motto Translation: While alive celebrate.


  1. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. 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. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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