Pleger History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Pleger surname comes from the Middle English word "pleggere," meaning "one who pledges in a lawsuit."

Early Origins of the Pleger family

The surname Pleger was first found in Cambridgeshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Bottisham, held by Walter Giffard, one of the greatest of the Norman Earls who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086.

Early History of the Pleger family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pleger research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1510, 1599 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Pleger History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pleger Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Pledger, Pledgard, Pledgar, Pledgred, Pleger and others.

Early Notables of the Pleger family

Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pleger Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Pleger family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Nich. Pledge, who came to Virginia in 1636; John Pledger, who settled in Delaware in 1674; Joseph Pledger, who settled in New Jersey in 1675; Elizabeth Pledger, who arrived in New Jersey in 1675.

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)