Show ContentsLegge History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Legge family

The surname Legge was first found in Dumfriesshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Dhùn Phris), a Southern area, bordering on England that today forms part of the Dumfries and Galloway Council Area, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Legge family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Legge research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1647, 1673, 1682, 1683, 1685, 1691 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Legge History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Legge Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Legge, Legg and others.

Early Notables of the Legge family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

  • Admiral George Legge, 1st Baron Dartmouth PC (c.1647-1691), an English naval commander, Gvernor of Portsmouth 1673, Master-General of the Ordnance 1682, Admiral of the Fleet 1683, Master of the King's...

Legge Ranking

In the United States, the name Legge is the 13,732nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Legge is ranked the 111st most popular surname with an estimated 315 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Legge family to Ireland

Some of the Legge family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Legge migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Legge Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Legge, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet, found in Lynn.
  • John Legge, who arrived in New England in 1635 3
  • Edward Legge, who arrived in Virginia in 1657 3
  • Anne Legge, who settled in Virginia in 1663
  • John Legge, who landed in Maryland in 1679 3

Legge migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Legge Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Edward Legge who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Lotus" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in 1847 4

Legge migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Legge Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Margaret Legge, aged 23, a dairy maid, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Assaye" in 1874 5
  • Miss Margaret Legge, British settler travelling from London, UK with 1 child aboard the ship "Assaye" arriving in Auckland, North Island, New Zealand on 26th December 1874 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Legge (post 1700) +

  • Charles Alexander Legge (1930-2023), American jurist, Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California (1984-2001)
  • Brigadier-General Barnwell Rhett Legge (1891-1949), American Instructor at Command & General Staff School (1936-1939) 6
  • Professor Gordon E Legge, American Distinguished McKnight University Professor and chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of Minnesota
  • James Legge (1815-1897), Scottish missionary
  • Norman Randall "Randy" Legge (1945-2023), Canadian professional NHL ice hockey defenceman from Newmarket, Ontario, who played 12 games for the New York Rangers during the 1972–73 season
  • Major-General Stanley Ferguson Legge (1900-1977), Australian Chief Administration Officer Queensland Lines of Communications Area from 1944 to 1945 7
  • Michael Legge, Irish comedian
  • Hon. Edward Legge, British Royal Navy captain
  • George Legge, British First Baron of Dartmouth
  • James Gordon Legge (1863-1947), Australian Army Lieutenant General who served in World War I
  • ... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

SS Caribou
  • Mr. Lionel Edgar Legge (b. 1920), Newfoundland passenger who was Royal Air Force from Cartyville, Newfoundland and Labrador was travelling aboard the railway ferry "SS Caribou" when it was struck by a German submarine torpedo on 14th October 1942, the most significant sinking in Canadian waters at that time, he died in the sinking


The Legge Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Gaudet tentamine virtus
Motto Translation: Virtue exults in the trial.


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  4. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 39)
  5. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  6. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, April 2) Barnwell Legge. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Legge/Barnwell_Rhett/USA.html
  7. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, August 30) Stanley Legge. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Legge/Stanley_Ferguson/Australia.html


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