Show ContentsHaggiss History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Haggiss

What does the name Haggiss mean?

The surname Haggiss is a name whose history on English soil dates back to the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. The name Haggiss comes from a the baptismal name for the son of Agace. As the naming tradition grew in Europe baptismal names began to be introduced in many countries. Baptismal names were sometimes given in honor of Christian saints and other biblical figures. There are very few Christian countries in Europe that did not adopt surnames from these religious figures.

Early Origins of the Haggiss family

The surname Haggiss was first found in Huntingdonshire (now a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire) where early records of the name were found as both a forename and a surname. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 revealed: John Messor et Agacia, uxor sua in Cambridgeshire; Agacia de Gatesdon in Devon; Robert filius Agacie in Cambridgeshire; Symon Agace in Huntingdonshire; and William Agaz in Buckinghamshire. 1

The Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379 listed Simon Agasson.

Further to the north in Scotland, the variant Haggis is of "local origin from Haggis, a common place name occurring in the shires of Berwick, Ayr, Lanark, Renfrew, Aberdeen, and Banff. " 2 And the first records of the family include: "Gilbert of Haggehouse, a Scots merchant, was arrested at Lynn in England without cause, 1394; and William Haggus [who] held land in the Almory of Abirbrothoc in 1427." 2

Haggis is a savoury pudding and traditional Scottish dish. Thanks to Robert Burns' poem "Address to a Haggis" in 1787, the pudding is a favourite every Robbie Burn's Day where the poem is recited and the pudding is typically piped in with much ceremony.

Early History of the Haggiss family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Haggiss research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1379, 1540, 1564, 1601, 1621, 1662 and 1679 are included under the topic Early Haggiss History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Haggiss Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Haggiss has undergone many spelling variations, including Haggas, Haggis, Hagis, Hagass, Haggist, Hagges, Hages, Hagus, Hagase, Aggas, Agas, Aggs, Agace, Agus and many more.

Early Notables of the Haggiss family

Distinguished members of the family include Robert Aggas, (d. 1679) an English painter, who was employed by Charles II as a scene-painter for the theatre in Dorset Garden. 3 Ralph Agas (1540-1621), was a land surveyor, who rose to eminence by making maps of London. He was a native of Stoke-by-Nayland, in Suffolk. 1 3 Benjamin Agus (fl...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Haggiss Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Haggiss migration to Australia +

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

Haggiss Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Haggiss, (b. 1807), aged 28, English plaisterer who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Aurora" on 18th June 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1882 4


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. 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)
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/aurora


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