BAGGOTT
The surname Baggott is of English origin and is believed to have derived from the Middle English word bagot, meaning “little bag.” It is thought to have been a descriptive nickname for an individual who carried a small bag or pouch, a circumstance suggesting the possibility of a peddler or a pilgrim. The term was also applied to a person of small or round, bag‑like shape, and over time the nickname was adopted as a hereditary family name.
During the Norman period the name became connected with Old Germanic personal names such as Bago, Bacco and Bahho, derived from the root verb bag- meaning “to fight.” After the Conquest of 1066 the name entered England in forms such as Bacus, Bacon and Bague>. The surname Baggott and its variants Baggett, Bagot and Bagehot arose from a diminutive suffix -et attached to the personal name, with the earliest recorded instance of “Bagot” dating to 1125 in Staffordshire.
Historical documentation provides a series of early attestations. The first recorded spelling of the family name is that of Hereveus Bagod, dated to circa 1159 in the Chartulary of Staffordshire during the reign of King Henry I (1154–1189). Other early examples include Ingeram Bagot in documents relating to the Danelaw in Lincolnshire (c. 1170), Hereficus Bachot in the Warwickshire Curia Rolls (1195), and Simon Baghot in the Staffordshire Feet of Fines (1198). In London church registers the name appears in the christening of John, son of Humphrey Baggott, at St James’ Clerkenwell (January 6 1627) and in the marriage of Thomas Baggott and Elizabeth Baxter at St Giles’ Cripplegate (August 1 1658).
The heraldic arms associated with the Baggott family are described as five silver escallops on a red cross set against a gold shield. This design has been recorded in family documentation and appears in contemporary depictions of the coat of arms.
In Ireland the surname is an anglicised form of the Gaelic name Ó Bavchad. It is most commonly found in County Fermanagh and is believed to have been introduced to the island in part through Anglo‑Norman settlement. Variant spellings recorded in Irish contexts include Bachlach, Baggot and Bagot.
The distribution of the surname Baggott today is concentrated in several English‑speaking countries. In the United Kingdom it is particularly common in Staffordshire and the West Midlands, although occurrences are found throughout England and Scotland. In Ireland the name is predominantly located in Dublin and its surrounding counties of Kildare, Wicklow and Meath. Australia's most frequent concentration is in Victoria, especially the outskirts of Melbourne, while in the United States the surname is most frequently identified in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey, largely within the Mid‑Atlantic region.
In addition to the standard spelling Baggott, the name exists in a variety of forms, including Baggot, Baggatta, Bagatta, Baget and Baggett. Related surnames that potentially share the same roots or linguistic development encompass Baggette, Bauguet, Boiget, Bodgett, Bagette, Beghet and Boigitte.
Further etymological investigations reveal that in French the word bagot means “mug” or “goblet,” a reference that traditionally ascribed the name to soldiers who carried such vessels. A Scottish derivation suggests the possibility that the name was given to a person who held a fragment of land. In the Irish context the surname is understood to be an anglicisation of Ó Beagadha, itself derived from the Gaelic word beag meaning “small” or “little,” indicating that the original bearer may have been of small stature.
Typical given names associated with the Baggott surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Robert
- Stephen
- William
Female
- Amanda
- Emma
- Gillian
- Helen
- Jane
- Julie
- Laura
- Margaret
- Maureen
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Backet
- Backett
- Bacot
- Bacquet
- Bacud
- Bagade
- Bagadi
- Bagadia
- Bagat
- Bagatta
- Bagatti
- Bagdai
- Bagde
- Bagdi
- Baggat
- Baggatt
- Bagget
- Baggett
- Baggette
- Baggit
- Baggitt
- Baggot
- Baggoth
- Baggotts
- Baghott
- Bagot
- Bagott
- Bagudu
- Baguet
- Bahgat
- Baket
- Bakita
- Baqutai
- Baucutt
- Bawcutt
- Bawkett
- Baycott
- Baygot
- Baykut
- Beakett
- Becket
- Beckete
- Beckett
- Beckit
- Beckitt
- Becquet
- Beekett
- Begaud
- Beggett
- Beggiato
- Beighet
- Bekett
- Bekit
- Bekitt
- Bequet
- Bewkett
- Bewketu
- Bicat
- Bicket
- Bickett
- Bickitt
- Bigatti
- Bigda
- Biggett
- Biggood
- Biggott
- Bighetti
- Bigood
- Bigot
- Bigott
- Biket
- Bikett
- Bocket
- Bockett
- Bocquet
- Bocutt
- Bogadi
- Bogado
- Bogati
- Bogatu
- Bogda
- Bogget
- Boggett
- Boggit
- Boggitt
- Bogod
- Bogut
- Boguta
- Bokota
- Bookett
- Boquet
- Boucatt
- Boucaud
- Boucaut
- Boucott
- Bouquet
- Bouquette
- Bowcot
- Bowcott
- Bowcut
- Bowcutt
- Bowket
- Bowkett
- Bowkite
- Boycot
- Boycott
- Boycut
- Boycutt
- Boykett
- Bucket
- Buckett
- Buckette
- Buckit
- Buckitt
- Bucquet
- Buekett
- Bugat
- Bugatti
- Bugtti
- Buhgate
- Bukata
- Bukett
- Buquet
- Bycott
- Bygate
- Bygott
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Baggott in...
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There are approximately 2,103 people named Baggott in the UK. That makes it roughly the 4,029th most common surname in Britain. Around 32 in a million people in Britain are named Baggott.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Baggott
- Jim Baggott - Writer
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.