NationStates Jolt Archive

I love looking up the history of my family, recently I found this about my the origins of my last name, very interesting, to say the least.


The Pigg family descended from a Gaul Tribe that were employed by the Romans during their conquest of the world. Most probably one of the tribes that transversed the Alps settling in the Po River Valley. Their tribal national emblem was the European wild boar, which is said to be the most dangerous animal in the world to hunt. The Romans fought shoulder to shoulder behind their shields, thrusting their swords in front of them. The Gauls, known for their broad swords, fought with a slashing motion, hacking the enemy to death. The result was the Romans calling the Gaul mercenaries Porcus, from which we get the English names, Pigg, Hogg, Ham, and Bacon.

The family grew to some prominence, being mentioned often in Senate records.

"William Pigg, originally from Rome, established the name in Messina in 1050 A.D. His son, Cataldo Pigg, organized a company of green uniformed guards and had charge of escorting the Holy Sacrament, administered to the sick, defending it from violent sacrileges of the Saracens, etc. This Cataldo had a son also named Cataldo who had a son Genovese who was a retainer and first royal counselor to the King William II of England. William Pigg, son of Genovese, was appointed by Charles I of Anjou as military commander of Messina and established the family that became the Barons of Portonotaro in 1593. Other Baronies were added later." (from a letter written by Albert M. Pigg to Virginia Allen around 1939, from information he obtained from "The Great Rolls" and "The Norman People and their Descendants in the British Dominion and the U.S. of America" published by Henry S. King in London, 1774.)

At least one Pigg was with William Duke of Normandy in his invasion of England in 1066. Recorded in the Domesday Book is (Alferic Pigg?) The family concentrated in Northumberland County, and members of the family continue to reside there today.




So, if you feel comfortable enough, post your genealogy or some family history.

Where did you get that information from?

My last name means "Strawberry Farmer" in French. There's a whole clan of us in Aberdeen.
Edit: I'm not in Aberdeen. I'm in Canada.

Where did you get that information from?


I googled it. Evidently there was a gentlemen as interested in our last name, as I, so he went out and found all this information.

http://www.pigggenealogy.com/pigg.htm

The rest of it talks about how in america his branch of the name went south, however somewhere along the line, my branch came north to Illinois.

My last name means "Strawberry Farmer" in French. There's a whole clan of us in Aberdeen.
Edit: I'm not in Aberdeen. I'm in Canada.


hah, I was confused for a moment, I saw your location say canada, and then you say that about aberdeen..I was like, eh?

My last name is Malek. I'm told it means "master" in arabic, but my dad's side of the family isn't arabic, as far anyone knows they're eastern european with some irish thrown in for good measure. Apparantly we're somehow partly descended from gypsies too.

Oh, and on my mom's side, I'm somehow related to Sir Robert the Bruce apparantly. Though only a small part of my mom's side of the family is scottish...

Don't know much about the family before 1900, but I do know my last name in German is the equivalent to "odd-shaped skull". :P

my coat of arms- (http://www.houseofnames.com/i/family-crest/coas/zoom/10473-family-crest-English.gif)

looks awfully silly

On my mums side of the family, there are quite a few eastern europeans and jews, which i guess makes me jewish?

my last name means 'crooked smile' in Gaelic
http://www.houseofnames.com/coatofarms_details.asp?sId=&s=Campbell

The O'Kellys of Wexford

The O'Kellys of Ui Teigh were of the same race as the Mc Murroghs, O'Tooles, O'Taidhg, O'Byrnes etc. of Leinster. The territory of Ui Teigh was also called Crioch Cualan or "Cualans Country"and comprised the present Baronies of Rathdown, Newcastle and Arklow, on the coast of County Wicklow.

According to MacFirbis, Main Mal, a younger brother of Cathal Mor, Monarch of Ireland in the second century was an ancestor of O'Ceallaigh of Cualan. These Kellys were also referred to as Chieftains of Hy Maile.

Although fierce troublemaking warriors during Celtic times, the power of the Kelly Clan was broken when the Normans invaded, and they split into those who became tenants of the Normans and bandits. The name itself means "War" or "Strife". It's the most common surname in Ireland.

my coat of arms- (http://www.houseofnames.com/i/family-crest/coas/zoom/10473-family-crest-English.gif)

looks awfully silly
I found my coat of arms on that site too!

http://www.houseofnames.com/xq/asp.fc/qx/malek-family-crest.htm

hah, I was confused for a moment, I saw your location say canada, and then you say that about aberdeen..I was like, eh?

My anscestors started in Aberdeen, where there is still a clan, and spread across the world. I'll admit I phrased it badly.

I found my coat of arms on that site too!

http://www.houseofnames.com/xq/asp.fc/qx/malek-family-crest.htm


Handy site :)

My anscestors started in Aberdeen, where there is still a clan, and spread across the world. I'll admit I phrased it badly.


Oh its ok, Ill let your phrasing mistake slide, only because you are cute ;)

Although fierce troublemaking warriors during Celtic times, the power of the Kelly Clan was broken when the Normans invaded, and they split into those who became tenants of the Normans and bandits. The name itself means "War" or "Strife". It's the most common surname in Ireland.


Interesting how most of our ancestors turned out to be barbaric warriors, eh?

The following genealogy must all be taken as 'apparently' as I'm going by word-of-mouth.

http://www.houseofnames.com/coatofarms_details.asp?sId=&s=Boston

That's the closest I can get to my crest. It's the right surname, but our branch seems to have a crown on the lion's head, royal connections somewhere. Feel free to pay homage.

(For anyone who's thinking of the Bucs David Boston (it was quite an irony when he went to my team, the Miami Dolphins, and also means the commentators say my full name on Madden 06's superstar mode instead of just surname), I'm white, unlike the Bucs WR (not that it matters))

Ok, through the Boston side, we held land in Bedfordshire (Eaton Socum area apparently), and fought for Parliament in the Civil War. (Oddly, I wouldn't get my pants in a twist if absolute monarchy returned) Of course, the Monarchy was restored and we had a falling out with Charles II. So ended up coming to Coventry in the late 1600's. I have no idea why that site says we're Scottish, I mean, Roxburghshire to Bedfordshire is a HECK of a distance. Well whatever. We've been in Coventry since the late 1600's, and generally have done nothing of note spare have one of my Great-Great Uncles play 50 games for Coventry City FC, scoring 3 goals. He was a centre-forward. A short one at that. We still play football, though not at a professional level, but my uncle did have trials with Stoke City as a Goalkeeper.

My mum's parents were born up norff (County Durham), and my Granddad's surname is Jackson. Through these guys, I have a connection to the Ilderton family (through a bit of urm...creeping around in the night by ancestors), who had a manor in the village of Ilderton, up norff. Through the Ilderton's, I'm related to King Malcolm of Scotland. Feel free to pay homage.

Although, my mum's surname should really have been Plecnik. This guy was a trader or something, and his ship went down in the Bay of Biscay, (apparently) and he lost all his money (apparently) and decided to settle in the North-East of England. This side has done something slightly more notable, as my Granddad Jackson helped develop those things that hold down railway sleepers (clips) or something to do with railway sleepers. I can't remember his exact words, but because he could probably still pack a punch at the age of 76, I believe him. Oh, that side of the family moved from the North-East down to Nuneaton, due to the coal mines.

--EDIT--

Which reminds me, my mum's side is also descended from Jutlandish Vikings! My Granddad reckons he has a ridge in the palm of his hand "where the Vikings held their weapons". Right.

my dad's side were welsh farmers as far back as anyone seems to remember, and my mum's side were polish farmers who lost their farm to stalin after the war, and architechts in berlin. people be dead on that side of the family though so its hard to know any more


might look into family history properly when i have some time

my dad's side were welsh farmers as far back as anyone seems to remember, and my mum's side were polish farmers who lost their farm to stalin after the war, and architechts in berlin. people be dead on that side of the family though so its hard to know any more


might look into family history properly when i have some time


It is fun to look into it. I love learning what my family was of the pat, and to compare them to today, and possibly what we will be like in the future.

My paternal family name is very uninteresting. It literally means cow in Spanish and was born simply in the Spanish region of León. The spelling can be either Baca or Vaca. A lateral branch of the family, Cabeza de Vaca, became quite famous.

Much more interesting is the story of my maternal family name, Maldonado. The first Maldonado came from the Aldana family who came from Teodoric, an Ostrogoth king who ruled in Spain around the 5th or 6th Century.

In the 12th C one of his descendants, Hernando Pérez de Aldana, was very sick and went on a pilgrimage from Galicia to Cataluña to ask the virgin for health. When he got there, his sickness had him confined to a bed, the temple was full of the faithful when another pilgrim who couldn't find an open space decided to step on Don Hernán's bed to see better.

Don Hernán asked him to step down, because his feet hurt, and the pilgrim answered "You wouldn't be so rude if you knew who I am". This pilgrim happened to be William, Duke of Normandy, and nephew of the King of France (not the Conqueror, this is a later William). Don Hernán told him that he would seek to regain his honor if the virgin gave him back his health and William just laughed.

After he got better (by divine design one must assume) he sought the help of the rest of his family and the Spanish King, and they all got behind him. He went to the King of France and asked for retribution as corresponding to the rules of chivalry. William apologized but Don Hernán wanted to put his feet on him as a sign of repentance. William didn't accept this, and the only way left to regain honor left was the joust.

So, they jousted. Don Hernán defeated William and as he was about to inflict the mortal wound the King stopped the fight. "You have proven your honor and you can ask from me what ever you want in exchange for my nephew's life." Don Hernán said "You have three Fleur de Lis in your coat of arms, give them to me so I can have five." (the Aldana's Coat of Arms already had two).

The King refused and offered wealth and land, but Don Hernán didn't go for the riches but for honor and he would not have anything else. In the end the King accepted, "but," he said " these are given against my will (mal donée)".

From then on, Don Hernán changed his name to Maldonado, and it's still in use today.

http://www.maldonado.com/escudo1.gif

-snip-


Very interesting family history :)

I know my coat of arms. I have it in Iron engraved over the fireplace of my father's house, along with a family tree. The one that site gave me in connonation with my surname was so different as to be ludicrouos, everything was wrong. Mine has a dragon with two heads, one holding a sword the other a spear, both wearing crows, hugging a shield of blue and white square pattern on which is a crow in the middle again, along with the motto written beneath in latin. Translated it means, "fight and stand strong."

The one the site gave me didn't have a dragon but a knights head. That site is just wrong and in my opinion hoax :mp5:

The one the site gave me didn't have a dragon but a knights head. That site is just wrong and in my opinion hoax :mp5:
Families branch out and new Coats are given to distinguished branches to tell them apart.

my family coat of arms looks alot like this guy :upyours:

my family coat of arms looks alot like this guy :upyours:

How angry!

http://www.houseofnames.com/coatofarms_details.asp?sId=&s=Deery

That stuff about the Deery name is what I've heard, it's pretty interesting, to the level that all geneaology is, but its nothing extraordinary.

My mum's side is much more interesting. Her maiden name is Lovedale, but that name is entirely fictional, the name was made up by this burly Sikh bodyguard (my great great grandfather) who felt he had to have an English name in order to get on with Imperial Raj society, and my maternal colonial-Anglo-Indian family.

My last name 'walker' is a medieval career where the walker would jump around on urine-soaked clothes to clean them.

My last name is wall and the origins are a mystery
http://www.houseofnames.com/xq/asp/s.Wall/Origin.IR/sId./qx/coatofarms_details.htm
Some say we are from holland others say scandinavia, England, or France

"Of the four family names that are the focus of this book; Dyck, Harder, Claassen, and Wall, the least is known about our Wall ancestors. According to the Mennonite Encyclopedia, Wall is a Mennonite family name of probable Dutch origin. The author Horst Penner, in Die ost-und westpreussischen Mennoniten, says unequivocally that the Walls come from Holland. Originally the name was spelled "de Waal" as noted in records of the Mennonite congregation at Danzig, West Prussia. Among the West Frisian Islands off the west coast of Holland is the island of Texel, the largest of this group of islands. A prominent city on the island of Texel is De Waal."

"The name Wall in Ireland is of Norman origin being derived from the name de Valle and integrated into Gaelic society as de Bhail. There were a number of Septs of this family who were most prominent in Counties Limerick and Waterford where the majority of descendants can still be found. Wale is a variant."

Three of my ancestors were BIshops on was a govenor in India.
The only thing I'm sure of is the walls came to Ireland in the 13th century
(or 1300)

My last name is Snyder, but it was changed to that from something Polish. I don't know exactly what though, something -ofski.

My maiden name is Hill. Means dweller of the hill (oooo. big excitement). My married name is a variation of the name of a town in Germany called Schwangau. My boyfriends name (I am divorced... no cat calls - thankyouverymuch) is of Hungarian origin. I have no clue what it means... although it almost sounds Italian... not Hungarian. LOL.

I am really into the genealogy of my family though. On the hill side, I have it traced back to the early 1600s when my line of Hills came over to the US from England. It is also rumored that on my moms side, we are descended from Martin Luther. I have yet to even come close to confirming that one.

Not sure what mine is. I have links to the Stuart nobility and royalty, but that is all I know, beyond the fact that I am ethnically dutch/anglo/greek. I'd love to look into my genealogy and ethnic background.

I know that my family history contains many Kings of England (William I, Henry I, Henry II, John, Henry III, Edward I, and a few Saxon kings) the Scots (including Duncan and Malcolm of Macbeth fame), France, Ireland (pre-Norman conquest), and many other European monarchies. There are Dukes of Normandy, Swedish and Norwegian Earls, Dukes of Brittany, Counts of Anjou, Earls of Hereford, Earls of Ormonde, Lord le Poers, one of them a Lord Chancellor (interestingly, my Grandpas middle name was "Power", a corruption of le Poer), Lords of Cavan, Earls of Kildare, Earls of Desmond, Earls of Angelsey, Earls of Tyrone, an Archbishop or two...and more that I can't be bothered recounting. Up until the 1700s there were Earls and such, then it was MPs, then just landed gentry.

I know one branch first came to Ireland with Strongbow, while another branch includes the Irish he was fighting against. There are quite a few instances of that.

My family name comes from Humphrey de Bohun (1276-1322), 4th Earl of Hereford, who was called "Bearer of the Swan Badge". Our family crest still carries a Swan, and the motto is "Moriens Cano" (Dying, I Sing). My family once owned Sandringham, back in the 1600s, and once held large estates in Ireland which were taken by the Free State government in the 20s. The house in Dublin was sold to the council in 1985, but that was about 100/120 years after by branch split and moved to Belfast.

The guy who moved to Belfast had his occupation simply listed as "Gentleman" in a census. His son started a very successful Linen factory with his inheritence, but when he died his wife was swindled out of all the money. So now there is none.

Fun, eh?

his wife was swindled out of all the money. So now there is none.
Oh. It started out so well.

I have around 13 ancestors who were on the Mayflower. I'm related to the Currier from "Currier and Ives".
Um... It is family folklore that my family in Japan are descendents from Emperor Hirohito, but no one says exactly how. My last name is also a district outside of Tokyo, and it's written translation means city river.

Oh. It started out so well.

Yeah, by his business partner who was also supposedly his friend, and who lived next door to them. It happened when my grandad was a kid. When my parents went to look at a house one day he told them if they bought it he would never forgive them.

Turned out they were going to look at the house the business partner had lived in. Seems he was still pretty angry about his mum being swindled out of a fair bit of money by her husband's "friend", causing her to die at about 45 from stress.

My last name is German and means: Guard or watchman.

I was told that my ancestors are from Austria.

There is a free service to search ancestors on http://www.familysearch.org/
It is a wonderful site and I was able to use that and their local centers to work my way up my family line for a couple of centuries.

Better than that, I was able to find a woman who had known my great great grandfather. She had a shoebox full of his pre WWII pictures, which she sent to me.

Elsdon is the next family tree name I plan to explore, when I have the time and inclination. :)