Show ContentsHaigel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Haigel Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Haigel

What does the name Haigel mean?

Soon after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, the name Haigel was recognized on the island as a name for a person exhibiting characteristics associated with the eagle, such as a lordly or impressive nature, or sharp-eyed vision. The name may also be of toponymic origin and derive from either of two place-names Eagle, in Lincolnshire, 1 or L'Aigle, in Normandy. 2

Another source claims the name is "metaphorically applied to a person of ambitious or soaring disposition." 3

Early Origins of the Haigel family

The surname Haigel was first found in Lincolnshire where the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 as Aclei or Aycle. 4 Literally the place name means "wood where oak trees grow." 5

However, we must look to Yorkshire to find one of the first record in early rolls, that of Gilbertus de Aquila who was listed there in the Pipe Rolls of 1196. Richer del Egle was found in the Curia Regis Rolls for Northumberland in 1210 and a few years later, Ralph Egle was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Yorkshire in 1230. 6

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 record: William Egle, Cambridgeshire; Custance Egke, Cambridgeshire; and Gilbert de la Hegle, Sussex. 7

In Scotland, the family claim descent from the "Norman family of L'Aigle. Matilda de Aquila, 1129, [was] widow of Robert Mowbray, Earl of Northumberland." 8

Early History of the Haigel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Haigel research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1129 and 1230 are included under the topic Early Haigel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Haigel Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Eagle, Eagles, Hegel, Hegell, Aigle, Eagel, Ligle and others.

Early Notables of the Haigel family

More information is included under the topic Early Haigel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Haigel family

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Haigel or a variant listed above: John Eagle who settled in Maryland in 1736; Edward Eagle, who settled in New England in 1763; George Eagle, who settled in Virginia in 1635; Katherine Eagle, who settled in Virginia in 1663.
  1. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  2. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  5. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  6. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  7. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  8. 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)

Houseofnames.com on Facebook