The 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. Early Origins of the Diggs family
The surname Diggs was first found in
Norfolk where they held a
family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of
Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.
Early History of the Diggs family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Diggs research.
Another 135 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1632, 1691, 1515, 1559, 1546, 1595, 1636, 1639, 1638 and 1672 are included under the topic Early Diggs History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Diggs Spelling Variations
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.
Early Notables of the Diggs family (pre 1700)
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Nicholas Duck, a prominent lawyer in the city of London; Sir John Duck, 1st
Baronet (c. 1632-1691), English politicin, Mayor of Durham; Leonard Digges (c.1515-c.1559), English mathematician and surveyor, credited with the...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Diggs Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Diggs family to Ireland
Some of the Diggs family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Diggs family to the New World and Oceana
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:
Diggs Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Richard Diggs, who landed in Virginia in 1645 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8) - Edward Diggs, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Diggs Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- W H Diggs, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8) - N. E. Diggs, aged 55, who settled in America, in 1894
Diggs Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Mable Diggs, who emigrated to Topeka, Kansas, in 1904
- John Diggs, aged 43, who landed in America from London, in 1904
- Harry Diggs, aged 38, who emigrated to America from Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1907
- Diggs, aged 33, who landed in America from Dublin, Ireland, in 1912
- Beatrice Diggs, aged 28, who emigrated to Paducah, Kentucky, in 1913
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Contemporary Notables of the name Diggs (post 1700)
- Reese Wilson "Diggsy" Diggs (1915-1978), American Major League Baseball pitcher in the 1930s
- Elder Watson Diggs (1883-1947), American principal founder of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity
- Joetta Clark Diggs (b. 1962), American track and field athlete
- Melanie Paige "Laney" Diggs (b. 1992), American figure skater
- Jimmy Diggs (b. 1955), American television screenwriter, best known for his work on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager
- Na'il Diggs (b. 1978), American NFL football linebacker for the San Diego Chargers
- Charles Coles Diggs Jr (1922-1998), African-American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 13th district (1955 to 1980)
- Scott Leo "Taye" Diggs (b. 1971), American theatre, film and television actor, best known for his roles in the Broadway musical Rent
- Charles Coles Diggs Sr. (1894-1967), American politician, Representative from Michigan 1st District, 1948, 1952 [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html - Bertha J. Diggs, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1944 [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html - ... (Another 19 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)