Seeker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Seeker has a rich and ancient history. It is an Anglo-Saxon name that was originally derived from the baptismal name for the son of Sigar which was an Old English personal name. One source claims the name was Norman in origin from Segre in Anjou. 1

Early Origins of the Seeker family

The surname Seeker was first found in Devon, where the name was first listed as Sagar and Segarus in the Domesday Book of 1086. 2 Later, Galfridus filius Seger was listed in 1222, again in Devon. Over in Dorset, Walter Sagar was listed there in the Pipe Rolls of 1195. John Seger was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 in Norfolk. 3 The same source lists: Henry filius Sigar in Cambridgeshire; and William Siger in Norfolk. 4

Kirby's Quest lists John Seger in Somerset, 1 Edward III (in the first year of Edward III's reign.) 5

Early History of the Seeker family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Seeker research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1549, 1557, 1563, 1564, 1633, 1667, 1681, 1693 and 1768 are included under the topic Early Seeker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Seeker Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Seeker include Segar, Seeger, Seegar, Sigar, Sugar, Seager, Sager, Saker, Sakar and many more.

Early Notables of the Seeker family

Notables of the family at this time include Francis Segar or Seagar (fl. 1549-1563), an English translator and poet, "whose name, variously spelt, is that of an old Devonshire family, was probably the 'Francis Nycholson, alias Seagar,' who was made free of the Stationers' Company on 24 Sept. 1557. 6 Sir William Segar (c.1564-1633), was an English portrait painter and Garter King-of-Arms to the court...
Another 64 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Seeker Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Seeker migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Seeker Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Robert Seeker, who landed in Virginia in 1631 7
Geo Seeker, who arrived in Virginia in 1643 7

Seeker Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Friedrich Heinrich Seeker, who arrived in America in 1853 7

Seeker 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:

Seeker Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. F. Seeker, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Hydaspes" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th October 1868 8
Mr. A. Seeker, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Hydaspes" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th October 1868 8
Martin Seeker, aged 22, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Schiehallion" in 1872

Citations +

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)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html