BOGGS
Origins of the surname Boggs can be traced to the Gaelic word bog, meaning soft or marshy ground. The name is locational, indicating that its earliest bearers lived near or within a boggy area in the British Isles.
In Scotland the name appears relatively common, a fact reflected in the migration of its bearers to other English‑speaking countries. Within the English Midlands, and especially in Yorkshire, variations such as Boggers, Boggas, Boggis and Boggs are documented, although the latter spelling is by far the most prevalent.
The earliest recorded instance of a person bearing this surname is that of Elyas Bogeys in the Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire, dated 1260 during the reign of King Henry I of England (1216 – 1272).
Subsequent records include John Bogays of Wakefield in 1301 and William Bogace in the same city in 1309. By 1327 the name appears in East Anglia, with William Bogges recorded in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk. Later medieval entries list Nicholas Bogges of Somerset in 1377, Robert Boggas of Stratford, Suffolk in June 1562, and Guye Boggish of Boroughbridge, Yorkshire in 1623.
In the early eighteenth century additional notations appear: on 12 April 1655 William Boggis is recorded at All Saints, Sudbury, Suffolk, and on 3 June 1707 Isac Boggis witnesses the christening of his son at All Saints Church, Norwich. A grant of a coat of arms for the Boggs family is believed to have been issued in East Anglia circa 1680, with the blazon described as “per chevron, red and silver, three crescents counterchanged.” The crest features a single sail, symbolising a navigator who achieved success over an infidel.
The surname also exists in the spellings of Bogey(s) and Bogie(s), particularly in Yorkshire, where it was used as a nickname meaning “bold,” a term which in the thirteenth century conveyed a character of daring or likelihood and was considered complimentary.
Thus, the Boggs surname has a documented history spanning from the thirteenth century in Yorkshire through the early modern period in England, with a notable presence in Scotland and a lasting legacy that has extended across the globe through migration. Its Gaelic roots, geographic associations, and heraldic recognitions continue to inform the identity of its bearers today.
Typical given names associated with the Boggs surname
Male
- Charles
- David
- Robert
- Stephen
- Wayne
Female
- Louise
- Margaret
- Rachel
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Boggs in...
Braille
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Morse
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There are approximately 76 people named Boggs in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around one in a million people in Britain are named Boggs.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
