| ![Show Contents]() Pigram History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of PigramWhat does the name Pigram mean? The name Pigram was formed many centuries ago by the early Norman settlers that followed the 1066 Conquest of the island. It was a name typically given to a person who had made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land or some devotional area in Europe such as the tomb of St. Thomas a Beckett at Canterbury. 1 The modern French form, Pèlerin was a frequent entry in the Hundredorum Rolls. 2 Occasionally used as a personal name: Pelerin appears in the Pipe Rolls for Sussex in 1206 and was sometimes given to or adopted by a pilgrim. 1 Early Origins of the Pigram familyThe surname Pigram was first found in Norfolk, where the family held lands after the Norman Conquest. 3 According to the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae, Robert, John, and Thomas Pelerin were all registered in Normandy between 1180 and 1195. 4 Hugo Pllegrim was listed as a Knights Templar in Warwickshire in 1185. William Pegerim, Pegrum was registered in the Curia Regis Rolls for Dorset in 1200 and Eustace Pelrim was registered at Ely, Cambridgeshire in 1221. Robert Peregrine was recorded in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1243. 1 Continuing our quest, we found William Pylegrim in Huntingdonshire in 1251; Robert Pelrin, Pelgrim in the Assize Rolls for Cambridgeshire in 1260; William Pegrin in the Hundredorum Rolls for Cambridgeshire in 1275; and Symon Pegrym in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1327. 1 Early History of the Pigram familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pigram research. Another 44 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1189, 1200 and 1273 are included under the topic Early Pigram History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Pigram Spelling VariationsSpelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Pigram have been found, including Pilgrim, Pilgrime, Pilgram, Pegram, Pegrem, Pelerin, Peregrine and many more. Early Notables of the Pigram familyMore information is included under the topic Early Pigram Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Pigram family to IrelandSome of the Pigram family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Pigram migration to the United States | + |
For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. 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 Pigram were among those contributors:
Pigram Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Charles Pigram, aged 26, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Lucania" in 1908 5
- Maude Pigram, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Aquitania" in 1943 5
| Pigram migration to Australia | + |
Pigram Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century- G. Pigram, settler who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Marloo" in 1903 6
| Pigram 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: Pigram Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Mr. Pigram, American settler travelling from San Francisco aboard the ship "William" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 2nd April 1853 7
| Contemporary Notables of the name Pigram (post 1700) | + |
- Courtney Pigram (b. 1985), American professional basketball player
- Tom Pigram, English theatre actor
- Elizabeth Pigram, British musician, known for Love Off the Cuff (2017), Skyrim 10th Anniversary Concert-Full Performance (2021) and Starfield-A Night with the London Symphony Orchestra (2023)
- Wayne Pigram, known professionally as Wayne Pygram, is an Australian actor and musician
- Ngaire Pigram, Australian singer, dancer, actor, screenwriter, and director, known for Mystery Road (2018), The Circuit (2007) and Dark Whispers (2014)
- Dalisa Pigram, Australian choreographer, co-director of Marrugeku dance company
- Alan Pigram, Australian musician and songwriter, member of Scrap Metal and The Pigram Brothers
- Alan Pigram, Australian lead guitarist who with his brothers Steven, David, Colin, Philip, Peter and Gavin form the Pigram Brothers, a seven-piece Indigenous Australian band
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
- 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)
- Ellis Island Passenger Search (Retrieved 24th October 2022).https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/
- National Archives of Australia (Retrieved 24th October 2022). https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
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