Contents [hide]

Piggott History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Piggott History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Piggott arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Piggott comes from the Old English given name Picot or Pigot. The surname Piggott was originally derived from the Old English word pic, meaning a hill with a sharp point at its top, and would originally have indicated that its bearer lived near such a landmark.

"Picot was a personal name is clear, for Picot, a chief tenant in Hampshire, and Picot de Grentebrig', both occur in Domesday [Book]. It is curious, too, to observe that two families in Cheshire, the Pigots and Pichots, ran side by side for some generations, and Dr. Ormerod long ago surmised that both sprang from one common ancestor - Gilbert Pichot, Lord of Broxton." [1]

Another source notes that "the name of Pickett may be a corruption of Pickard, though we must remember that there is an estate of this name in the parish of South Perrott, Dorset." [2]

Early Origins of the Piggott family

The surname Piggott was first found in Cheshire and Cambridgeshire where Picot of Cambridge (c.1022-1090), born in Saye, Normandy, was a Norman landowner and rose to become Sheriff of Cambridgeshire (c. 1071-1090.) His son Robert, became implicated in a conspiracy against King Henry I, fled the country and the family estates were forfeit. [3] "Pygot occurs in Leland's supposed copy of the Roll of Battle Abbey." [4]

The Lincolnshire Survey listed Picotus de Laceles, temp. 1109 and later the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Picot de Flexbergh, Wiltshire; Elis Pyket, Buckinghamshire; and Walter Pycot, Cambridgeshire. [1]

Another reference claims "the family originally came from Cheshire; William Pigott of Butley in the parish of Prestbury in that county, who died in 1376, was grandfather of Richard Pigott of Butley who married the heiress of Peshall." [5]

Early History of the Piggott family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Piggott research. Another 208 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1109, 1210, 1333, 1630, 1640, 1645, 1657, 1686, 1697, 1713, 1716, 1719, 1720, 1734, 1777 and 1796 are included under the topic Early Piggott History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Piggott Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Pigott, Piggot, Piggett, Piggott, Piggot, Pigot, Picot and many more.

Early Notables of the Piggott family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Thomas Pigot (Pigott, Piggott) (1657-1686), an English cleric, academic and Fellow of the Royal Society

Piggott Ranking

In the United States, the name Piggott is the 12,982^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [6]

Migration of the Piggott family to Ireland

Some of the Piggott family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Piggott migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Piggott or a variant listed above:

Piggott Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Walter Piggott, aged 19, British settler who landed in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Abraham" [7]
William Piggott, aged 50, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Plain Joan" [7]
Richard Piggott, who landed in Maryland in 1673 [7]

Piggott Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Piggott, who landed in America in 1765 [7]
Ralph Piggott, who arrived in America in 1774 [7]
Ralph Piggott, who settled in Virginia in 1774

Piggott Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert Piggott, who arrived in Colorado in 1888 [7]

Piggott migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Piggott Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

William Piggott, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749-1752

Piggott migration to Australia +

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

Piggott Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Piggott, English convict who was convicted in Westminster, London, England for 7 years transported aboard the "Forfarshire" on 24th June 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [8]
Richard Piggott, aged 28, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Duke of Wellington" [9]
Richard Piggott, aged 28, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Duke Of Wellington" in 1849 [9]
Susan Piggott, aged 24, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Duke Of Wellington" in 1849 [9]
George H. Piggott, aged 11, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Duke Of Wellington" in 1849 [9]
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Piggott 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:

Piggott Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Piggott, aged 25, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bombay" in 1865 [10]
Elizabeth Piggott, aged 24, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bombay" in 1865 [10]
Mr. Robert Piggott, (b. 1850), aged 29, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Stad Haarlem" arriving in Lyttleton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th April 1879 [11]

Contemporary Notables of the name Piggott (post 1700) +

Emeline Piggott (1836-1919), Confederate spy from North Carolina
David C. Piggott, American politician, Candidate in primary for Mayor of Bountiful, Utah, 1989 [12]
Lester Keith Piggott (1935-2022), English professional jockey and trainer who had 4, 493 career wins including a record nine Epsom Derby victories, nicknamed "The Long Fellow"
Robert Piggott, English philanthropist, founder of The Piggott School, in Wargrave, Berkshire, England
Mr. Francis Alexander James Piggott C.B.E., O.B.E., British Colonel, recipient of Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 8th June 2018 [13]
Alan Derek Piggott MBE (1922-2019), Britain's best known glider pilot and instructor who had over 5,000 hours on over 153 types of powered aircraft and over 5,000 hours on over 184 types of glider
Sir Francis Taylor Piggott (1852-1925), British jurist and author, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong
Maxwell Ian "Max" Piggott (1920-2010), Australian rules footballer
Ernest Keith Piggott (1904-1993), British leading jump jockey and National-winning trainer, son of Ernie Piggott
Ernest "Ernie" Piggott (1878-1967), British jump racing jockey, three-time Champion Jockey and three-time Grand National winner
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Piggott Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Tout foys prest
Motto Translation: Always ready.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
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)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/forfarshire
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The DUKE OF WELLINGTON 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Duke%20of%20Wellington.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 7th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists