| ![Show Contents]() Iago History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The notable Iago family arose among the Cornish People, a race with a rich Celtic heritage and an indomitable fighting spirit who inhabited the southwest of England. While surnames were well-known during the English medieval period, Cornish People originally used only a single name. The way in which hereditary surnames came into common use is interesting. As the population of medieval Europe multiplied, people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. Under the Feudal System of government, surnames evolved and they often reflected life on the manor and in the field. Patronymic surnames were derived from given names and were the predominant type of surname among the Celtic peoples of Britain. However, the people of Cornwall provide a surprising exception to this rule, and patronymic surnames are less common among them than other people of Celtic stock, such as their Welsh neighbors. This is due to the greater influence of English bureaucracy and naming practices in Cornwall at the time that surnames first arose. This type of surname blended perfectly with the prevailing Feudal System. One feature that is occasionally found in Cornish surnames of this type is the suffix -oe or -ow; this is derived from the Cornish plural suffix -ow. is a patronymic surname that came from the personal name James, which itself is a version of the ancient name Jacob, which means supplanter. Early Origins of the Iago familyThe surname Iago was first found in Cornwall, where there is some debate of the name's origins. One reference lists that the name was "from the Spanish Iago, which must have crossed over into Cornwall at some early period." 1 While another states "whether it derives from the Celtic-British Iago, and signifies James or from gago or jago, a spear and pledges for battle; however, the name was of ancient use in Britain; for Galfridus Monmuthensis tells us of a king named Jago, before Julius Caesar landed in Britain, that reigned twenty-five years, and is buried at York." 2 The parish of St. Erme in Cornwall was an early home for the family. "The barton of Innis or Ennis, was at an early period possessed by the Opies, who held it so late as the days of James I. during which period it was sold by them to an ancestor of Samuel Jago, Esq." 3 It is generally thought that the name Jago is Cornish for the name James and in Welsh records as Iago. 4 Early rolls point to a variety of spellings and entries of both as a forename and surname: Jago filius Ytel listed in the Pipe Rolls of Hertfordshire in 1185; and William Jeago in the Assize Rolls for Shropshire in 1221. 4 Early History of the Iago familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Iago research. Another 65 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1221, 1684, 1723, 1724 and 1807 are included under the topic Early Iago History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Iago Spelling VariationsCornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Jago, Jagoe, Jagow, Jeago, Jego, Mac Ego and many more. Early Notables of the Iago familyMore information is included under the topic Early Iago Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Iago family to Ireland
Some of the Iago family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Iago migration to the United States | + |
An examination into the immigration and passenger lists has discovered a number of people bearing the name Iago:
Iago Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Louise Iago, who landed in Galveston, Tex in 1846 5
| Iago migration to New Zealand | + |
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include: Iago Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Thomas S. Iago, aged 27, a carpenter, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1872
- Mary H. Iago, aged 27, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1872
- Mary A. Iago, aged 4, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1872
- Lettie Iago, aged 11 months, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1872
| Contemporary Notables of the name Iago (post 1700) | + |
- Iago Goldstein, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 7th District, 1922 6
| Historic Events for the Iago family | + |
- Mr. John M Iago (b. 1916), English Electrical Lieutenant serving for the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve from Northwood, Middlesex, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 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)
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- 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)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
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Iago migration to the United States 
Iago migration to New Zealand 
England
Ireland
