TAGGERT
Taggert is a surname of Gaelic origin, arising in Scotland as a patronymic formation from Mac an t‑Sagairt, meaning “son of the priest.” The name originally signalled the descendant of a cleric, especially at a time when Roman Catholic priests were formally forbidden to marry or father children. Over ensuing centuries the spelling and pronunciation evolved, giving rise to the modern form Taggert.
The earliest surviving record of the name appears in the Medieval Scottish Chronicles, where a Ferchar Mackinsagart is dated to 1215 during the reign of King Alexander XI (1214‑1249). Further attestations include a Donald McKyntagart of Dumfries in the Exchequer Rolls of 1459, William Maktygar recorded in Edinburgh in 1504, and Thomas McKyntaggart as a tenant in Strathdee in 1527. In 1606 William MacTeggart, Dean of Derry, is noted for his knowledge of Irish and Latin. These entries demonstrate a continuity of the surname across three centuries in Scotland and neighbouring Ireland.
In Ulster, the surname and its variants were common among the Gaelic population, with the village of Ballymactaggart in County Fermanagh situated in the heart of the former territory of the sept. Recorded spellings include MacTaggart, MacTaggert, McTaggert, Taggert, Taggart, Taggerty, MacEtegart, and Ateggart. The distribution reflects the historical movement of families during the Plantation of Ulster and subsequent settlement patterns.
In the New World, the name migrated with Scottish and Irish emigrants. As of 2019, the U.S. Census recorded approximately 5 841 individuals bearing the surname Taggert. The largest concentration is in West Virginia (about 1 040), followed by Pennsylvania (770) and Ohio (725). A notable bearer was the 18th‑century pioneer minister George Taggert (1765‑1845), whose descendants spread from West Virginia to adjacent states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.
There exist numerous orthographic variants of the name, reflecting both Anglicisation and regional phonetic differences. These include Taggart, Tagart, Taggett, Tagget, Tagert, Taggaert, Teggart, Tegert, Tygget, Tygert, Tygart, and others. An alternate derivation, particularly noted in England, links the surname to the Gaelic Mac Toighardaigh (“son of Toighardaigh”), where Toighardaigh originates from the Old Norse tǫgr (direction) or the Old Celtic tigern (lord). This variant illustrates the diasporic interchange between Gaelic and Anglo‑Norman naming practices during the 11th‑13th centuries.
While the original Gaelic meaning emphasises a clerical lineage, the modern bearer of Taggert need not possess a priestly ancestry. The surname today stands as a linguistic testament to historical social conventions concerning clerical celibacy and the persistent influence of Gaelic naming on contemporary populations across Scotland, Ireland, and the United States.
Typical given names associated with the Taggert surname
Male
- Felix
- Michael
- Shaun
- Steven
Female
- Christina
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 Taggert in...
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There are approximately 33 people named Taggert in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around one in a million people in Britain are named Taggert.
