Briggs History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 
  Scotland 


The English surname Briggs derives from the Old Norse word "bryggja." It is the Northern English form of the word bridge. 1 2 Brig(g) is "the northern [England] and Scottish word for bridge." 3

Early Origins of the Briggs family

The surname Briggs was first found in the Rotuli de Oblatis et Finibus, King John where the personal name Brig and de Brug occur. 4

Later in Yorkshire, Robert del Brig was listed there at Wakefield in 1275. 3 Later in Cumberland, Alexander del Brigg was registered in the Subsidy Rolls of 1332. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Hugh ate Brugge and Roger ate Brugge in Oxfordshire while the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Juliana del Bryg, Robertus atte Brig and Ricardus atte Brygg. 5

Between the 11th and 15th century there were numerous recordings of various members of the family name as they flourished in the north and into Scotland. "Duncanus Brigis appears in Murthlac, Banffshire, 1550 and Catherine Brigs was married in Edinburgh, 1611." 6

Early History of the Briggs family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Briggs research. Another 147 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1382, 1504, 1560, 1561, 1628, 1630, 1633, 1642, 1668, 1670, 1676, 1677, 1682, 1684, 1704 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Briggs History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Briggs Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Brigg, Briggs, Brigge and others.

Early Notables of the Briggs family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was

Briggs World Ranking

In the United States, the name Briggs is the 438th most popular surname with an estimated 64,662 people with that name. 7 However, in Australia, the name Briggs is ranked the 346th most popular surname with an estimated 10,459 people with that name. 8 And in New Zealand, the name Briggs is the 621st popular surname with an estimated 1,151 people with that name. 9 The United Kingdom ranks Briggs as 315th with 19,395 people. 10

Migration of the Briggs family to Ireland

Some of the Briggs family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Briggs migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Briggs Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Briggs Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Briggs Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Briggs migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Briggs Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Briggs migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Briggs Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Briggs migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Briggs Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Briggs migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 19
Briggs Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Briggs (post 1700) +


The Briggs 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: Fortiter et Fideliter
Motto Translation: Boldly and faithfully.


Suggested Readings for the name Briggs +
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