According to our foremost and most knowledgeable etymological authorities, the surname Baggett (Bagget, Bagett, Baget) and Baggott (Baggot, Bagott) descended from Bagot, and Bagot descended from Bagod. This is also the opinion of the author of the Name Origins Certificate shown below. Etymologists contend that Bigot descended from Bigod, and some authorities believe that Bagod is a possible corruption of Bigod, by reason of the English broadening the (“I/A”) sound. (The Bigot Coat of Arms of Brittany is shown here):

Origin of names may be better understood after attempts at clarification. For example, one needs to understand in the general sense that the same name with the same spelling may be derived independently from two or more different languages, with entirely different meanings.

It is also very likely that variant spellings of the same name can actually descend through different languages, but mean substantially the same. Occurrences like these were frequently caused by migrants who migrated from one area of the nation to another, thereby implanting a name into the language of a country where it never existed or was previously unknown.

To begin with, one needs to realize that in the first century B.C. there were many tribes in the territories of western Europe. We need to concentrate primarily west of the Rhine. The Romans, who had fought with the Celtic-speaking tribes in ancient Gaul for centuries, eventually conquered these tribes in 51 B.C. In the fourth century A.D., with the disintegration of the Roman power in the region, the Teutonic tribes occupied sections of the shrunken Roman territories, but the northern portions of Gaul fell to the Franks.

At the time of the Conquest in A.D. 1066 the Normans introduced into Britain many names that were mostly territorial in origin. These were primarily of three kinds: (1) names that were of Norse origin which their ancestors had carried into Normandy; (2) names that were of Germanic origin, which the Frankish conquerors had brought across the Rhine and had effectively ousted the old Celtic and Latin names from France; (3) Biblical names and names of Latin and Greek Saints–these they retained even after they had completely adopted the customs and language of the natives of northern France.

After the Norman Conquest, not only Normans, but Frenchmen and Bretons from other parts of France settled in England, and a considerable number found their way into Scotland. Also the genealogy of the Norman race leads up to its connection with the Danish and Anglo-Saxon, which collectively form the three primary parts of the English nation. In order to further trace that out, it will be necessary to enter on the relationship of both the Gothic and the Teutonic races.

Both the Scandinavian and Norman immigrations into England have had a very pronounced impact on primary and secondary racial origins of names, since the Vikings are apparently ancestors of the Normans. In view of the above, many etymologists are divided in their opinion of a name's origin.  This, invariably, has divided the opinions of most etymologists in the present situation of the name Baggett and its variants.

As we will see next in the Name Origins section below, the name is apparently recorded as far back to circa the ninth century there in Flanders. Sometimes certain people were called by their Title Names, such as Sir de Bethune, De Arras, etc., as in this case, Advocates, Lords, Dukes, and Barons. You will note that the history books recognize persons by certain titles, i.e., Dukes of Buckingham were sometimes addressed as Buckingham and not by their surnames. De Arras is a typical example.

(NOTE: A professional genealogist researched the Name Origins Certificate shown on a link below. Our intention is to post valid information on this site. The authenticity of the Certificate is rarely disputed by the family and extremely infrequent, according to our Electronic Mail. It would be impracticable for the Certificate to be confirmed as conjectural at this particular time; for also, you will need to consider the one on the link below located in Oxford University as such. They are almost intirely the same. The other book was printed in 1874 by H. S. King & Co. It would be wise to follow up on the sources given to affirm whether or not the Certificate is fact. Some of the abbreviations are short, but they give enough information for one to research if he wishes to. The French History sources should be: Bouquet, History of France, vol. X, page 442 and: Bouquet, History of France, vol. XI, page 106. The Des Bois source should be: Des Bois, article by Gherbode. Apparently the Mon. source should be: Monastery, vol. I, page 440.

The Name Origins Certificate was ordered by Mrs. Maloye Bragg of Tennessee, deceased. She sent me a copy and I wrote Mr. Kilner, the author of the Certificate. I got all the other information located on this page from him. He gave me the sources of the information on all the data here. A company site on the Internet has several of his books on Greene County for sale listed on their site in Ohio. At the time the Certificate was issued, he confirmed that he was the owner of Family Name Origins in Ohio. Arras, the ancient capital of Artois, Department of Pas-de-Calais, France; was founded in 667. Artois was at it's prominence in about 864.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, DAYTON, OHIO — GREENE COUNTY:
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• KILNER, Arthur R., 75, of Xenia, Tuesday. Services 1:30 p.m. Friday. (Neeld, Xenia)
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[From the Dayton Daily News: 09.18.2002]

Beginning in the 9th century, a remarkable line of Flemish counts succeeded in erecting a quasi-independent state on the borders between the French and German kingdoms. When Charlemagne's empire had been divided up under the Treaty of Verdun (843), the Schelde River had been made the dividing line between the Western and Eastern Frankish kingdoms. The rise of Flanders began when the official administrator of the pagus, Baldwin I Iron-Arm, married the Western Frankish king Charles II the Bald's daughter in 862 and was appointed count of Flanders. His successors as count, among them Baldwin II (ruled 879–918), Arnulf I the Great (918–965), Baldwin IV the Bearded (988–1035), and Baldwin V (1035–67), gradually expanded their domain southward to the towns of Douai and Arras and eastward across the Schelde River to Ghent and Antwerp. The Flemish counts enjoyed virtual independence from weak French kings during this time. The first dynasty of counts died out in 1119, but Flanders rose to the height of its power and wealth under a later line of counts whose principal members were Thierry of Alsace (1128–68) and his son Philip (1168–91). (It appears according to the evidence found here, the Baggott ancestors may have been part of the early Flemish empire, but as the Name Origin states, they descended from the Carlovingian dynasty shown below.)

Carolingian dynasty - a Frankish dynasty founded and ruled from 751 to 987 by Charles Martel and his successors. Charlemagne, Charles the Great, Dutch: Karel de Grote, German: Karl der Grosse, Latin: Carolus Magnus) was born on April 2, 742 in Northern Europe. Charles was the eldest son of Pippin III and Bertrada of Laon. "By the sword and the cross," Charlemagne became master of Western Europe.

In 768, when Charlemagne was 26, he and his younger brother Carloman inherited the kingdom of the Franks. In 771 Carloman died, and Charlemagne became sole ruler of the kingdom. At that time the Franks were falling back into barbarian ways, neglecting their education and religion. The Saxons of northern Europe were still pagans. In the south, the Roman Catholic church was asserting its power to recover land confiscated by the Lombard kingdom of Italy. Europe was in turmoil.

Charlemagne was determined to strengthen his realm and to bring order to Europe. In 772 he launched a 30-year military campaign to accomplish this objective. By 800 Charlemagne was the undisputed ruler of Western Europe. His vast realm encompassed what are now France, Switzerland, Belgium, and The Netherlands. It included half of present-day Italy and Germany, and parts of Austria and Spain. By establishing a central government over Western Europe, Charlemagne restored much of the unity of the old Roman Empire and paved the way for the development of modern Europe. (It was from this dynasty that the Baggott ancestors are descended from.)

Repeat: On this Web site at the link you will find most of the things shown on the Name Origin Certificate Pages 146 & 147:   Note: If everything is black on the left side, replace the 146. Hit Enter. This will pull up the same thing that I have on the Origin Certificate. Slowly go down to page 147 to finish the article.  Click on: More about this book.  "The Norman People and Thier Existing". It was Published in 1874 by H.S. King & Co. "Original from Oxford University". Digitized Jun 22, 2006. Notice this BaggettHistory site was not the first to publish the Name Origin Certificate. Search for Bagot and you will find a few lines of ancient descent which is shown on the Certificate. (The Name Origin Certificate is shown here):

The commercial site, FamilyCastles, which has disappeared from the Internet, is apparently at the present time continuing to research their site and the name Bagot. Their research in the past was similar to the research shown on the Certificate, that is, on Bagod d'Arras and by the Carlovingian Counts. They also showed that Bagod of England had something to do with Saint-Omer Castle in Flanders. Obviously both links before they started upgrading showed the same castle, Saint-Omer, in France and Saint-Omer in Belgium. The map on both the pages appeared to be in the same area. Ancient Flanders was made up of parts of France, Belgium, and The Netherlands. The Saint-Omer village, apparently where the Bagod Castle was built, was between two monasteries, one called St. Omer and the other called St. Bertin. The Saint-Omer Castle first appears in 891 A.D. M. Blommaert thinks it possible that in some cases the castles were intended to serve rather as administrative centers than as military posts. But undoubtedly, Saint-Omer Castle was built to protect the abbey of St. Bertin against the Norsemen. No doubt, some of the other castles were built at about the same time to protect other abbeys from the Norse, which originally served the same purpose.

The last Family Castles link in Belgium of Bagod that they had on their site was Bagod Bromley (Stafford). They accually meant rather that the castle was expanded to a more modern look by Bagod Bromley in Stafford, and that the castle was built or renovated by Bagod d' Arras. It was subsequently occupied by the Carlovingian Counts and inherited by the ancestors of the Bagods of Bromley. All this appears to prove that the Bagods of Bromley were from Arras in ancient Flanders and lived in Saint-Omer Castle, Belgium. The Family Castles' notation, along with the contents of the Certificate, confirms that the Castle was actually built or renovated by Bagod de Arras of Staffordshire, England. Saint-Omer Cathedral was built in the seventh century.

The beginning of the pedigree of the name Bagot is shown in Baron William Bagot's book, Memorials of the Bagot Family, as Bagod, Lord of a Moiety of Bramelee com. Staff. temp. W. Conq., being translated: (Lord of a Moiety of Bramelee in Stafford in the time of William the Conqueror). Bramelee (Bramelle, or Bramshall) has been identified as Bromley located in Staffordshire, England. There are many more sites that connect Bagod of Bromley with Bagod d' Arras in Artois.

Family Castles apparently are updating their site. It appeared for a while since they began to update, but now it is no more available. Hopefully they won't give up and abandon their research on the Bagod lineage in Flanders until they finish their connection to the Carolingian Counts of Artois which were located in the castle in France. No doubt it is the same castle. This shows the link they had some time ago before they began to rebuild their site: They also had a link to the same castle in Belgium with this information:

Some of the older Bagods are on the two sites below. Notice that the owner of both sites begin with Ivrard de Arras (a 975) and notice that Adam de Bethune, Sn de Bessan as a brother of Robert IV de Bethune. It shows Robert de Arras, Sn de Bethune had two sons, Robert de Arras, Sire de Bethune and the younger Wago or Bagod de Arras, later of Bromley (a 1086). These links are assumed to be correct lineages, according to the Name Origin Certificate researched by Arthur Kilner and on the above link.After opening the 2nd link, click on: +==&=> [ 194 ,C,&] and it will show that these above, including Bagod d' Arras, son of Robert, Sire d' Bethune, descends from the Carolingian dynasty. There are many documents that prove Bagod d’Arras was one of the chiefs in Duke William's Army in 1066. This pedigree proves that Bagod of Bromley was of the Carolingian dynasty. These Chiefs were the ones who were granted the Lordships. Apparently Bagod d' Arras was one of them and he was appointed Lord of the moated manor home of Bromley and its territory.

Others have researched the name and when leaving England, they venture into a different realm, but I can't be convinced that the Baggett lineage descended from no other region than that of the ancient Flanders territory. There is so much evidence that I have seen, and I don't believe they have any relation to Bigot.

Repeat: This is not the only name origin that has been printed the way the Name Origin Certificate describes it. Threre was a book written by whom, I do not know, but was published in 1874 by H. S. King & Company having 484 pages. Their book, which is listed here was obtained from the Original Book, which is in the University of Michigan. The book of 1874 by H. S. King & Company was digitized Sep 14, 2007. Remember, the information about the Baggett Family Origin is found on page 146 and 147. It is almost precisely worded as the one I have listed on this site. I searched for: Carlovingian Counts and Advocates of Arras and it came up with this page of the book. The Baggett/Bagot name is listed in the chapters of “The Norman People” contained in the King & Company book.

It begins: “Bagot”--- “A baronial family, descended from the Carlovingian Counts of Artois, whose descendants were advocates of Arras, Lords of Bethune, and Castellans of Saint-Omer, and were amongst the greatest nobles of Flanders.”

Click on “Table of Contents” and go to Chapter III of the book. It says at the heading: “Criticism of Family History”.
Quote: “It may be supposed, perhaps, that any revision or re-examination of the existing family history of England is superflous and presumptuous. That large classes of facts which have been long accepted as authenic, on the arthority of eminent heralds, backed by the testimony of the families to which they relate, ought to be exempt from criticism. Such an opinion, however, can only be held where the real condition of the English pedigrees is not understood. Historical truth compels the rejection of much that is to be found in these documents. And as the present work frequently passes over the older pedigrees, and presents facts altogether new, it is necessary to produce evidence to show that such procedure is warranted by the present state of English family history.

“To those who are aware of the real state of things will be a mere repitition of that with which they are already familiar. The general history of the nation presents many points on which learned men have come to different conclusions, and in which long established views have been abandoned. And if in questions of much importance, much uncertainty is occasionly found, how vastly greater must be the uncertainty, which in many cases of history surronds questions of mere family descent!”

Several Sections Is From: The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States...        Click on: Find This Book In A Library And You Will Probably Find It Near You. All you that live near Atlanta, Georgia will find it there.

You may want to check this out. If this is correct, we are descendants of Abraham!
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Bagod

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bagod is a village in Zala county, Hungary. The families whose names are Bagod, Baggett, Baggette, Bagget, or similar can trace their lineage back to this area of Hungary. The aforementioned family names in some form were carried through to the time of William the Conqueror where the Bagod name may be found in the Domesday Book,i.e. a tax roll and continuing up to the present. The Baggett(Bagod) family name is one of the few names which can be traced back some 1,000 years. The ancestry of the Bagod family includes royalty in several different areas and times in history. Many members of the aforementioned family names now live in America and as far west as Australia. The name Bagod is a Hebrew name and apparently the ancestors of the Baggetts were Hebrews making the present descendants members of one of the Lost Tribes of the House of Israel.

BAGG/BAGGE/BAGGS/BACKS–Each  of these variant spellings is a Baptismal name meaning, “the son of Bagg.” They occurred in early rolls and there seemed to be no reason to doubt their being a Scandinavian personal name (Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames–Bardsley G.P.C. 1980). These are included here merely as an added reference. There is no indication of a direct relationship to Baggett or its variants.

The names described in one reference: Bagg/Bagge/Baggi–Bagg and Bagge are English and are metonymic for a bagger, i.e., “one who made and sold bags” (U-5, Smith). There is nothing directly on Baggi, but Bagby (English) is one who came from Baggi's homestead, in the North Riding of Yorkshire. A modern Old English variant is also Beag. Another reference to these is to note that they all represent a selection of Anglo-Saxon and Norse elements (B-2, Ewen).

Suffixes abound in use in regard to name formation when added to “root words” with intent of modifying the signification. The French diminutive suffixes are (“et”), (“ett”), (“ot”), and (“ott”). The (“et”) is a very common suffix, as is the (“ot”).

It is of course possible that the suffixes could have been added to Bagg as a “root word” but not to Baggi or Bagge, except for the possibility that Bagge as a variant could have in that sense been a variant of the root word Bag/Bagg, though inconclusive.

Moreover, some etymologists say that another meaning for Baggett/Baggott is that the names are English (back to a point), but meant: “Descendant of Little Baga, or Bacga, the fat one.” This is not intended to confuse, but again the name Bagg is cited as English with the root word for it being Bacga (Old English) for disputer (U-3, Rule).

It is also possible that Baggot is a diminutive of Bague, designating the man with the small golden ring (Family Names and Their Story, Baring-Gould 1910/1968 C.P.C.) (a different meaning generally not supported by others).

ET and OT–These are diminutive French suffixes and very common. One modern English surname found frequently in England and Ireland (though not of English origin) with this suffix is Bagot (from History of Surnames of the British Isles, C. L. Ewen, 1931; reprinted F.P.C., 1968).

Note also that British surnames being derived from words in many tongues, exhibit an unusual variety of suffixes, some of which may be traced to more than one source. It is necessary to consider the suffixes principally of the Anglo-Saxon, Norman-French, Gaelic, and Welsh languages.

BAGOT (BAGOD)–A family that was very important in the Pale (a district in eastern Ireland, around Dublin) from the thirteenth century. Bagotstown locates them in County Limerick and Castle Bagot in Dublin. A Baggot street is located there (Surnames of Ireland, by Edward Machlysaght, 1964/1980, I.A.P.) (Bibli. Map, Dublin).

BAGOT–(French), A Stay, Walking Staff, Gunstick, or Drumstick–from Bagnette. The name Bagot may possibly be a corruption of Bigot (from Etymological Work Concerning Family and Christian Names With an Essay, by William Arthur, 1857). (Further back in history, the name may be Norman/Norse as well as Norse in origin.)

BAGOT (BAGOD)–A baronial family that is descended from the Carlovingian Counts of Artois, whose descendants were Advocates of Arras, Lords of Bethune, and Castellans of Saint-Omer. Their ancestors were apparently among the greatest nobles of Flanders.

Ivrard de Arras is found in 975 (Des Bois, art. Gherbode). John de Arras, Advocate of Arras, succeeded Ivrard de Arras. His successor, Robert de Bethune (died in A.D. 1075), was Advocate in A.D. 1038 (Bouquet, History of France, X, page 442).

Robert, Sire de Bethune (or Sire de Wethune), Advocate of Arras, had two sons: (1) Robert, who was ancestor of the Advocates of Arras, Earls of Albe-Marle, and Dukes of Sully; and (2) Wago, Bago, or Bagod de Arras, who came to England at the time of the Conquest. Bagod de Arras returned and witnessed a charter in Flanders at the time of his father's death in 1075 (Bouquet, History of France, XI, page 106).

Bago (or Bagod) de Arras and his descendants bore the Arms also borne by De Arras in Flanders and France, viz. a chevron gules (or azure). The Coat of Arms borne by De Arras in Flanders and France was also borne by the Staffords, a chevron gules. (Apparently the Motto was changed. These Arms have a different Motto):

Wago, Bago, or Bagod de Arras held Bromley in Stafford in 1086 from Robert de Toesni, Baron of Stafford. His son, Rodbert Bagod, witnessed a charter of Geva, daughter of Hugh Lupus, which in effect established Canwell Priory in circa 1140 (Mon. I, page 440).

His son Henry (or Hervey) held three fees from Robert de Stafford (Lib. Nig.). Hervey's son Richard, in the time of King Henry II, had issue: (1) Simon Bagod, Lord of Bromley, lineal ancestor of the Lords Bagot; and: (2) Henry (Hervey) Bagod, who became Baron of Stafford by marriage with Millicent de Toesni. Hervey was ancestor of the great House of Stafford. His descendants became Earls and Dukes of Buckingham, so renowned in the history of England. (Bagot for Bagehot/Baggot/Baggott/Baget/Baggett is found in a book titled The Norman People, published in 1874 by H. S. King, London, England.) (The book of The Norman People was reprinted in 1975 G.P.C. with underscoring by the writer and other alterations, such as the origin of Artois and Bethune.)

In Burke's General Armory it states that the family of Bagot (descended from Bagod) held Bramshall in Staffordshire from Robert de Stafford at the time of the Domesday survey in A.D. 1086. Bagod, or possibly his son having the same name, was living in 1120. His son, Hervey Fitz Bagod, succeeded his father in about 1130, and was living in 1160 and 1166 when he held three knight's fees of old feoffment, including Bramshall. (The Encyclopædia Britannica declares that this Hervey above is Henry Bagod, and that his father was the Bagod who held Bramshall in A.D. 1086.)

Hervey Fitz Bagod's grandson, Hervey, married Millicent, daughter of his feudal overlord, Robert de Stafford, who became heir of her brother before 1193. Their son, Hervey, assumed the name De Stafford, and was ancestor of the Earls and Dukes of Buckingham (see Burke's Extinct Peerages). (The Encyclopedia gives the name Henry as the father of Hervey who married Millicent.) (Burke's General Armory declares that Bagod de Arras held Bromley in Stafford.) (Bromley was called Bradelie or Bramelle in Domesday.)

This lineage of the family became prominent, and Hervey's descendants were very close to the Crown and some were even mentioned as possible successors to the English throne!

STAFFORD–Tosny (Eure, Arr. Louviers, Cant. Gaillon). Robert de Stafford (called otherwise de Tosny), was an important Domesday tenant-in-chief. His father is described as Roger de Toeni, the standard bearer of the duchy of Normandy. In a charter for the abbey of Conches, Roger is described as: “Fillius Roger de Totteneio.” It is witnessed by his son Nicholas and St. Wullstan, Bishop of Worcester.

Robert de Stafford, a descendant of this Roger, confirmed to Conches the gifts in Wooton Wawen, Co. Warwick, where there was a cell of Conches made by his grand-father, Robert de Tosny, and his father, Nicholas de Stafford. This line of Staffords became extinct when a descendant died in 1193. The second House of Stafford began when Millicent Toeni married Hervey Bagot.

BIGOT (BIGOD)–This name was given to the Norman family by the French, because, “At every other word they would swear, 'By God'–from which they were termed as Bigod” (Remaines Concerning Britaine, by Camden) (book printed in London in 1614).

BIGOD–This was the name of an important English family of Norman origin. Roger Bigod, Earl of Norfolk, came to England at the time of the Conquest and acquired several estates; thus, he became one of the largest lay landowners in Norfolk and Suffolk. His son William died in the wreck of the White Ship. His great-grandson, Roger Bigod, (4th) Earl of Norfolk, became Marshal of England.

One will note from reviewing all the above, that the name Bagot and its variants are found in a number of countries, which apparently include Sweden and Norway.

Looking at the history of migration, the name Baggett and its variants probably originated in northeastern France above the Alps, and then Germany west of the Rhine River in prehistoric times. Some of the family then migrated north to Scandinavia, but others to Normandy and Flanders at that time. Germanic tribes settled on the coasts of the North Sea in the fourth century.

One might be interested at this point to note that in the genealogy of the Gothic nations, that the English descended through Scandinavians, Normans, and some through Anglo-Saxon, Frisians, Angles, Saxons, with the Dutch and Flemish also via the latter three. Some French and Swiss came from Prussia/Poland, while some Franks, North-French, Germans and Swiss descended from the earlier Franks, Germans–and way back from Teutons/Germans.  (The earliest Bagot/Bagod Coat of Arms is shown here):

Notwithstanding the fact that the Bagot family is found in many countries (apparently including Sweden and Norway), and realizing that a goodly number of the Norse are found accompanying William the Conqueror in his invasion of England, it is concluded that the name Bagot/Baggott/Baget/Baggett is French in origin (and Norman/Norse as well). Thus far, there have been no other translations discovered that might take the name back to Dutch origin or any other. For the moment, all the modern day variations, both phonetic and translations, are steeped in French, and later, English origin.

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