Spragge History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Spragge is a name of Anglo-Saxon origin. It was a name given to a person who because of their physical abilities was referred to as "sprack" or "spragg." This nickname surname was used to denote those individuals who were "agile", "nimble" and "quite lively." 1 2 3

In Shakespeare's comedy, The Merry Wives of Windsor, he states "He is a good sprag memory," IV. i. 84. 4

Early Origins of the Spragge family

The surname Spragge was first found in Suffolk where Reginald Sprag is listed in Suffolk in 1303. This is generally considered to be the first record of the family. A few years later, Richard Sprak was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1327 and Alice Sprakes was listed in Somerset in 1359. 5

Early History of the Spragge family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Spragge research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1618, 1620, 1632, 1645, 1655, 1664, 1673, 1677, 1684, 1695, 1720, 1725, 1919, 1944 and 1946 are included under the topic Early Spragge History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Spragge Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Spragge were recorded, including Spragg, Spragge, Sprague, Sprake, Sprigg, Spriggs and many more.

Early Notables of the Spragge family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Rev. Harvey Spragg of Essex; Joshua Sprigg or Sprigge (1618-1684), an English Independent theologian and preacher, chaplain to Sir Thomas Fairfax; and Francis Spriggs (died 1725), a British pirate active...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Spragge Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Spragge family to Ireland

Some of the Spragge family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 113 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Spragge migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Spragge family emigrate to North America:

Spragge Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Edward Spragge, who landed in Virginia in 1650 6
Mary Spragge, who arrived in Maryland in 1661 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Spragge (post 1700) +

George W. Spragge, Canadian Archivist of Ontario (1950-1963)
Bridgadier General John John "Jock" Spragge DSO, OBE, ED, (b. 1907), Canadian commanding officer of the Queen's Own Rifles on D-Day and in August 1944, Officer Commanding 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade 7
Ida Randolph Spragge (1888-1975), birth name of Ida Randolph Costain, Canadian wife of Thomas B. Costain, the Canadian journalist and best-selling author of historical novels
John Godfrey Spragge, Canadian Chief Justice of Upper Canada, Canadian Treasurer of the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1850

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)
Dixon, Bernard Homer, Surnames. London: John Wilson and son, 1857. Print
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)
John Spragge. (Retrieved 2014, April 28) John Spragge. Retrieved from http://qormuseum.org/soldiers-of-the-queens-own/spragge-john-godery/