Bigen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

Etymology of Bigen

The ancestors of the name Bigen date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Bigen family lived in Bikome, a town in the county of Somerset.

Early Origins of the Bigen family

Early History of the Bigen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bigen research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1350, 1743, 1747, 1758 and 1769 are included under the topic Early Bigen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bigen Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Bigen are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Bigen include: Bickham, Bickam, Bigham, Biggam, Bigholme, Bighone, Begholm, Beghome, Biggem and many more.

Early Notables of the Bigen family

George Bickham the Elder (d. 1769), writing-master and engraver, born about the end of the seventeenth century. "He was the most celebrated penman of his time, and published in 1743 a folio volume entitled 'The Universal Penman . . . exemplified in all the useful and ornamental branches of modern Penmanship." 2 His...
Another 52 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bigen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bigen family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Bigen or a variant listed above: Richard Bickham who settled in Barbados in 1685; George Bickham settled in Philadelphia in 1830; Margaret Biggam settled in Charles Town, South Carolina in 1767.