Spraggue is an ancient name dating from the times of the
Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It was a name for a person who was a person who because of their physical abilities was referred to as
sprack. This
nickname surname was used to denote those individuals who were agile and quite lively. A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character.
Early Origins of the Spraggue family
The surname Spraggue 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.
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Early History of the Spraggue family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Spraggue research.
Another 117 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1618, 1684, 1725 and 1720 are included under the topic Early Spraggue History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Spraggue Spelling Variations
Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few
hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently,
spelling variations in names are frequently found in early
Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Spraggue include Spragg, Spragge, Sprague, Sprake, Sprigg, Spriggs and many more.
Early Notables of the Spraggue family (pre 1700)
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Spraggue Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Spraggue family to Ireland
Some of the Spraggue family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 215 words (15 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Spraggue family to the New World and Oceana
Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in
England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Spraggue were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: John Spragg who settled in New
England in 1765; Richard Spragg arrived in Philadelphia in 1814; Anna, Francis, Jonathon, Mercy, Ralph, Richard and William Sprague all settled in Plymouth Massachusetts in 1623.