Maggins History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Maggins is tied to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of England. It comes from the name Megg, which is a pet form of the female personal name Margaret. The name Maggins is a metronymic surname, which is derived from the name of the mother, and features the common patronymic suffix -son, which was most popular in the north of England and superseded other patronymic suffixes during the 14th century.

Early Origins of the Maggins family

The surname Maggins was first found in Oxfordshire where they held a family seat. Commonly used surname in ancient times, Meg-son was literally the son of Meg or Margeret. The name proliferated in Oxfordshire where John Megge was recorded in 1273. However, the popularity of the name diminished and by the year 1500 had become somewhat obscure. Modifications such as Meggison emerged and included others as Meggotson, and so on but the main stem of the family name moved north to Northumberland. It was here at Whalton that a " barony was conferred by the Conqueror upon Walter Fitz-William, to be held by the service of three knights' fees. It was afterwards possessed by the Fitz-Rogers, Fitz-Roberts, and others 3 in the reign of James I. was held by the crown 3 and was subsequently granted to the Meggison family. " [1]

Early History of the Maggins family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Maggins research. Another 49 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 137 and 1379 are included under the topic Early Maggins History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maggins 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 Maggins has undergone many spelling variations, including Megson, Meggson, Meggison, Meggeson, Megginson, Meiggs, Meggenson, Meggy and many more.

Early Notables of the Maggins family (pre 1700)

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

Migration of the Maggins family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Maggins were among those contributors: Vincent Meggs and his two sons, John and Mark settled in Weymouth Mass in 1639; George Meggs settled in Virginia in 1652; and Francis Meggs settled in Virginia in 1667..

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.