| ![Show Contents]() Biggers History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The ancestors of the Biggers family took their surname from a place name. The roots of this place name lie with the ancient Viking settlers. The Biggers surname comes from someone having lived in east Lanarkshire, in a place probably named from the Old Norse words "bygg," meaning "barley," and "geiri," denoting a triangular plot of land. Early Origins of the Biggers familyThe surname Biggers was first found in Lanarkshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Lannraig) a former county in the central Strathclyde region of Scotland at Biggar, a parish and market-town, on the road from Dumfries to Edinburgh. "The original name of this place, as it occurs in several ancient charters, is generally written Biger, or Bigre, and is supposed to have been derived from the nature of the ground on which the castle of the family of Biggar was situated (in the centre of a soft morass), and to have been thence applied to the whole of the parish; and from the same circumstance, the castle assumed the name of Boghall. The manor was granted by David I. to Baldwin, a Flemish leader, whose descendants still retain the surname of Fleming; they appear to claim a very remote antiquity, and the name of Baldwin de Biger appears in testimony to a charter, prior to the year 1160." 1 "Baldwin de Bigir, who appears as sheriff of Lanark in the reign of Malcolm IV is the first known to bear the territorial designation. Between 1147-1160 Balwinus de Digir (Bigir) witnessed the grant by Arnold, Abbot of Kelso, of the lands of Douglas to Theobaldus Flamaticus. Sometime after 1170 Baldwin de Bigre, sheriff of Lanark, granted the church of Innyrkvp beyond the Moors (ultra mores) to the monks of Paisley. Waldeve, Baldwin's son, was taken prisoner at Alnwick along with King William the Lion in 1174. In 1228 Hugh the son of Robert de Bygris appears in a grant to St. Machute of Lesmahagow, in which he is styled Hugo de Bygris films Roberti filii Waldevi de Bigris." 2 To the south in England, one of the first records of the family was "Nicholas de Bichar" who witnesses a charter of William de Granavilla to Gateshead: and was, without doubt, the same Nicholas, mentioned in the Rot. Cur. Northumbriae, who was Lord of Byker, near Newcastle, in the reign of Henry III. This manor was anciently held in grand serjeancy, by carrying the King's writ between the rivers Tyne and Coquet, and making distresses of goods for the King's debts.- Hutchinson's Northumberland. The family continued there till 1346. Richard de Bicker was summoned to attend the great Council at Westminster in 1324.- Palgrave's Parl. Writs. "The name is found at a rather earlier date in Lincolnshire, where Gerard de Bikere occurs in the Rotul. Cancellarii of 1202, and was presumably the owner of Bicker, 'a very ancient and pleasant village, nine miles from Folkingham.' " 3 Early History of the Biggers familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Biggers research. Another 248 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1153, 1160, 1174, 1292, 1329, 1368, 1433, 1614, 1621, 1664, 1828, 1863, 1878, 1890, 1912 and 1927 are included under the topic Early Biggers History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Biggers Spelling VariationsSpelling and translation were quite undeveloped in the Middle Ages. Consequently, the spelling of Scottish names was an inconsistent practice, usually governed by the unique ear of the scribe recording the name. Over the years, Biggers was spelled Biggar, Bigare, Bigger, Bigir, Bygar, McGivern, Bigger and many more. Early Notables of the Biggers familyMore information is included under the topic Early Biggers Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Biggers RankingIn the United States, the name Biggers is the 7,700th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4  Migration of the Biggers family to Ireland
Some of the Biggers family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 221 words (16 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Biggers migration to the United States | + |
Opportunity and land greeted those who made it all the way. Some had the opportunity to solidify their new freedom by fighting in the American War of Independence, while others went or stayed north as United Empire Loyalists. Recently, the ancestors of those brave settlers have been able to recover much of their heritage through Clan societies and other patriotic organizations. A thorough examination of passenger and immigration lists has disclosed evidence of many early immigrants of the name Biggers:
Biggers Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Florence K. Biggers, aged 33, who immigrated to the United States from London, in 1897
Biggers Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Mary I. Biggers, aged 24, who immigrated to Toledo, Ohio, in 1912
- Robert Biggers, aged 25, who immigrated to America, in 1917
- C. E. Biggers, aged 24, who settled in America, in 1921
- Edw. Q. Biggers, aged 29, who landed in America, in 1924
- Mary Biggers, aged 25, who immigrated to the United States from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1924
| Biggers migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Biggers Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century- James Biggers, aged 39, who immigrated to Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1924
| Biggers migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Biggers Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century- Mr. Thomas Biggers, (b. 1752), aged 41, Irish convict who was convicted in Cavan, Ireland for life, transported aboard the "Boddingtons" on 15th February 1793, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1830 5
Biggers Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Mr. William Biggers, English convict who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 20th January 1836, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
| Contemporary Notables of the name Biggers (post 1700) | + |
- William G. Biggers, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Kentucky State House of Representatives 96th District, 1944-47; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kentucky, 1944 (alternate), 1948 7
- Shawn Biggers, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Connecticut, 2008 7
- Neal Brooks Biggers Jr. (b. 1935), American politician, U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Mississippi, 1984-
- Harrison F. Biggers, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 1944 7
- C. W. Biggers, American politician, Representative from Kentucky 3rd District, 1892
- W Watts Biggers (b. 1927), American novelist and television writer
- Jeff Biggers (b. 1963), American writer and journalist
- Earl Derr Biggers (1884-1933), American novelist and playwright
- Dan Biggers, American television actor
- Clyde Biggers, American college football coach
- ... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 1 of 3
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/boddingtons
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, March 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Biggers migration to the United States 
Biggers migration to Canada 
Biggers migration to Australia 
Scotland
Ireland
England
