Origins Available: English,
French
Wygod is one of the most ancient names to come from the Norman culture that arrived in Britain soon after the
Norman Conquest of 1066. It is a name for a person who was a Norman or an excessively religious person.
Normans were referred to as Bigots by the French, although the meaning of the word is unknown. After the 15th century, a
nickname adapted from the phrase
by God took on the form
Bigot. There is some suggestion that the name in
Normandy had been Wigot, and there was a line descended from Wigot de St.Denis, a great nobleman of
Normandy.
Early Origins of the Wygod family
The surname Wygod was first found in
Essex at Dunmow and Finchingfield, where they were granted lands by King William after the
Norman Conquest in 1066. Roger Bigod is also listed in Domesday Book; he was a Sheriff, with large land holdings in
Essex,
Norfolk and
Suffolk. Marston-Biggott in
Somerset was an ancient
family seat. "This place derives the affix to its name from the Bigott family, to whom the manor for several centuries belonged, and the site of whose ancient mansion is still marked by the moat."
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Early History of the Wygod family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wygod research.
Another 399 words (28 lines of text) covering the years 1096, 1095, 1177, 1182, 1225, 1266, 1107, 1144, 1150, 1221, 1209, 1270, 1245, 1306, 1066, 1166, 1227, 1214, 1522, 1150, 1220 and 1298 are included under the topic Early Wygod History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Wygod Spelling Variations
It is only in the last few
hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Wygod are characterized by many
spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Wygod include Bigot, Bigode, Bygod, Begod, Bigod, Wigot, Bidgood and many more.
Early Notables of the Wygod family (pre 1700)
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Roger le Bigod (1150-1220), son of Hugh Bigod, 2nd Earl of
Norfolk, who was recorded on the Falkirk Roll. This...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wygod Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Wygod family to Ireland
Some of the Wygod family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 90 words (6 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 Wygod family to the New World and Oceana
Faced with the chaos present in
England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as
Australia and
Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from
England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Wygod, or a variant listed above: Richard Bidgood who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1638; and V. Bigot who settled in San Francisco Cal. in 1851. In Newfoundland, Benjamin Bidgood was a juror in St. John's in 1751.