England
IrelandThe name Diggs is rooted in the ancient Norman culture that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It was a name for someone who was a person who had a duck-like gait or bore some other resemblance to a duck. The surname Diggs is derived from Old English words duk, dukke, duck, doke, and dook, which all mean duck. However, these words are often indistinguishable from the various Old English words duc, duk, duke, douc, and doke, which all came from the Old French word duc. This ultimately came from the Latin word dux, which means leader, and is a derivative of the verb ducere, which means to lead.
The surname Diggs was first found in Somerset where the first record of the family was John le Duk, who was listed there 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) [1]
The Rotuli Curiae Regis listed Ralph Dux of Buckinghamshire, 1198. [2] In Cheshire, two early listing were found: Robert Ducke was listed in the Assize Rolls of 1260 and later; Hugo Doke was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1279. [3] In the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, we found Adam Doke listed as holding lands there at that time. [4]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Diggs research. Another 68 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1580, 1648, 1570, 1628, 1632, 1691, 1657, 1515, 1559, 1546, 1595, 1636, 1639, 1638, 1672, 1705, 1756 and 1705 are included under the topic Early Diggs History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Duck, Duche, Ducke and others.
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Arthur Duck (1580-1648), English civilian, second son of Richard Duck by Joanna, his wife, born at Heavitree, Devonshire. He was born at Heavitree, near Exeter, Devon. the younger son of Richard Duck and his wife Joanna. His elder brother was the lawyer Nicholas Duck (1570-1628) was a prominent lawyer in the city of London. [5]
Sir John Duck, 1st Baronet (c. 1632-1691), was an English politician, Mayor of Durham. He "was apprenticed early in life to a butcher at Durham, though from an entry in the guild registers it appears that in 1657...
Another 106 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Diggs Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the United States, the name Diggs is the 1,808th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. [6]
Migration of the Diggs family to IrelandSome of the Diggs family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Diggs migration to the United States +To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Diggs or a variant listed above:
