LEGGE
The surname Legge is found throughout the British Isles and carries a history that stretches back to the early medieval period. While it is primarily Anglo‑Saxon in origin, evidence indicates a Norse influence as well, reflecting the intermingling of cultures that has characterised England and Scotland for centuries.
In Middle English the word legge simply denoted a leg, and the name may have arisen as a metonymic nickname for a person with long or vigorous legs, or as an occupational label for one who worked with legs, such as a dancer or a maker of wooden prostheses. A related Old Norse word, legg, carries the same meaning; the possibility that the surname derives from a personal name such as Leggr cannot be ruled out, although this link is considered unlikely by most scholars.
Variations of the name are numerous and reflect regional pronunciation and spelling conventions. Historical records show spellings including Legg, Legges, Leggs and the patronymic forms Legis. These differ from the contemporary spelling but all point to the same root. The name is also occasionally linked to the place‑name element leah, meaning a clearing in a wood, which is the origin of many English surnames such as Leigh.
Documentary evidence of the name appears as early as the 12th century. The Pipe Rolls of Northumberland record an Aedwardus Leg in 1185, while Sussex Subsidy Rolls of 1327 list John and Robert Legge. In London, parish registers document figures including Elizabeth Legh, who married William Kinkley in 1528, William Legg, who married Margery Crosse in 1547, and Ann Legges, who joined William White in 1655. The first recorded spelling in the Gloucestershire Pipe Rolls is that of Alueredus Leg (1176), during the reign of King Henry the Eighth.
Notable bearers of the surname include George Legge (1648–1691), the first Baron Dartmouth, who served as admiral and commander‑in‑chief of the fleet. In the 19th century, James Legge, a Scottish sinologist, gained renown for his English translations of Chinese philosophical and religious texts, thereby cementing the name in scholarly circles.
In the post‑Conquest era, the name migrated to the New World. A young Christopher Legg aged nineteen crossed the Atlantic aboard the “Primrose” in July 1635, laying the foundation for Legge family lines that would later spread across the United States, Canada and Australia.
The surname is still common in England and in other English‑speaking countries such as the United States, Australia and Canada. In areas of Scandinavia, particularly Norway, the name has some presence due to historic ties with the English and Norse peoples. Regional variants are often found; for example, the prefix Mc or O can appear in familial adaptations, yielding forms such as McLegge or O’Legge.
These variations are a testament to the surname’s long history and the way in which linguistic and cultural boundaries have shifted over time. The name Legge thus offers a window into the complex tapestry of medieval Britain, where Latin, Anglo‑Saxon, Norse and Norman influences coexisted and overlapped in the formation of family identities.
Typical given names associated with the Legge surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Peter
- Robert
- Stephen
- William
Female
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Jacqueline
- Jane
- Julie
- Karen
- Margaret
- Melanie
- Rachel
- Sarah
- Susan
- Victoria
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 Legge in...
Braille
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Morse
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There are approximately 3,839 people named Legge in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,431st most common surname in Britain. Around 59 in a million people in Britain are named Legge.
Surname type: Nickname
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Legge
- William Legge, 10th Earl of Dartmouth - Peer and politician
- Katherine Legge - Racecar driver
- Michael Legge - Northern Irish actor
- Michael Legge - Northern-Irish comedian
- James Legge - Missionary in China (1815 to 1897)
- Leon Legge - Football player
- Walter Legge - Classical music producer (1906 to 1979)
- Joan Margaret Legge - Botanist (1885 to 1939)
- William Legge, 6th Earl of Dartmouth - Politician (1851 to 1936)
- Geoffrey Legge - Cricket player of England. (1903 to 1940)
- William Legge, 7th Earl of Dartmouth - Politician (1881 to 1958)
- Augustus Legge - Bishop (1839 to 1913)
- Eddie Legge - Football player (1902 to 1947)
- Dominica Legge - Scholar of Anglo-Norman (1905 to 1986)
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.