Wygod Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available: English, French

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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.

Wygod Early Origins

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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."

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.

Wygod Early History

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 Early Notables (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.

Wygod In 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.

The Great Migration

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.

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Citations

^ Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.

Other References

Le Patourel, John. The Norman Empire. New York: Oxford University Press, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-19-822525-3).
Lennard, Reginald. Rural England 1086-1135 A Study of Social and Agrarian Conditions. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1959. Print.
Shirley, Evelyn Philip. Noble and Gentle Men of England Or Notes Touching The Arms and Descendants of the Ancient Knightley and Gentle Houses of England Arranged in their Respective Counties 3rd Edition. Westminster: John Bowyer Nichols and Sons, 1866. Print.
Egle, William Henry. Pennsylvania Genealogies Scotch-Irish and German. Harrisburg: L.S. Hart, 1886. Print.
Bede, The Venerable. Historia Ecclesiatica Gentis Anglorum (The Ecclesiastical History Of the English People). Available through Internet Medieval Sourcebook the Fordham University Centre for Medieval Studies. Print.
Bardsley, C.W. A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6).
Cook, Chris. English Historical Facts 1603-1688. London: MacMillan, 1980. Print.
Zieber, Eugene. Heraldry in America. Philadelphia: Genealogical Publishing Co. Print.
Matthews, John. Matthews' American Armoury and Blue Book. London: John Matthews, 1911. Print.
Sanders, Joanne McRee Edition. English Settlers in Barbados 1637-1800. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
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The Wygod Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Wygod Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 1 September 2016 at 12:40.