Show ContentsAuger History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Auger

What does the name Auger mean?

The Auger surname finds its earliest origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name is derived from a group of baptismal surnames which all mean the son of Eggar or the son of Agar. "Probably a form of Algar, a Domesday personal name, and very popular for several centuries." 1

"Aighear signifies gladness, joy, gayety. If from the Latin ager, it denotes a field or land." 2

In Scotland, "Aeggar was king of the Scots a. 1189." 3

Early Origins of the Auger family

The surname Auger was first found in the counties of Yorkshire and Northumberland, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

"The Agars, an old York family of the 17th and 18th centuries, gained considerable estate by trade and founded a hospital in that city. Thomas Agar, tanner, was lord mayor of York in 1618, and the same office was filled by Thomas Agar, woollen draper, in 1724. Agar is still a York name." 4

Early History of the Auger family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Auger research. Another 35 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1672, 1703, 1713, 1714, 1715, 1727, 1733 and 1782 are included under the topic Early Auger History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Auger Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Auger are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Auger include: Agar, Algar, Alger, Algore, Augar, Auger, Elger, Elgar, Eager, Eagar, Etches, Eaches and many more.

Early Notables of the Auger family

Notables of this surname at this time include: John Eager, born 1782 at Norwich, where his father was a musical instrument maker and organ builder. Having learned from his father the rudiments of music, he was at twelve years old taken under the care of the Duke of Dorset, an amateur violinist, who carried him to his seat at Knole, where free access to the library enabled him to repair the defects of his early education. His patron...
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Auger Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Auger World Ranking

In the United States, the name Auger is the 5,288th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 5 However, in Canada, the name Auger is ranked the 401st most popular surname with an estimated 11,597 people with that name. 6 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Auger is the 170th popular surname. 7 France ranks Auger as 298th with 13,393 people. 8

Migration of the Auger family to Ireland

Some of the Auger family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Auger migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Auger or a variant listed above:

Auger Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William Auger, who arrived in New England in 1631 9
  • Jon Auger, who arrived in Virginia in 1637 9
  • Jon Auger, who settled in Virginia as early as the year of 1637
  • Nicholas Auger, who arrived in New Haven, Connecticut in 1638 9
  • Andrew Auger, who arrived in New England in 1651 9
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Auger Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Georg Friederich Auger, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1754 9
  • Jacques Auger, who settled in Louisiana in 1756
Auger Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Auger, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 9
  • J Auger, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 9

Auger migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Auger Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
  • Jehan Auger, who landed in Montreal in 1653
  • Pierre Auger, son of Louis and Suzanne, who married Péronelle Meusnier, daughter of René and Marguerite, in Pointe-aux-Trembles, Quebec on 30th April 1685 10
  • Jean Auger, son of Jean and Louise, who married Marie-Charlotte Glory, daughter of Laurent and Jacqueline, in Quebec in 1690 10
  • Louis Auger of France, who married Antoinette Barabé, daughter of Nicolas and Michelle, in Quebec in 1691 10
  • Jean Auger, son of Pierre and Olivier, who married Marie-Anne Gautier, daughter of Joseph and Marguerite, in Sainte-Famille, Quebec on 7th June 1695 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Auger Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Julien Auger, son of Michel and Marie, who married Louise-Thérèse Petit, daughter of Jean and Marie, in Montreal, Quebec on 11th January 1708 10
  • René Auger, son of Pierre and Péronelle, who married Élisabeth Coutancineau, daughter of Michel and Élisabeth, in Pointe-aux-Trembles, Quebec on 1st September 1710 10
  • Joseph Auger, son of Pierre and Péronelle, who married Geneviève Gaudin, daughter of Charles and Marie-Madeleine, in Pointe-aux-Trembles, Quebec on 10th November 1716 10
  • Charles Auger, son of Charles and Madeleine, who married Catherine Giguère, daughter of Martin and Marie-Françoise, in Saint-François-du-Lac, Quebec on 7th May 1719 10
  • Louis Auger is recorded in a marriage contract in 1721 in Laneuville, in the province of Québec
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Auger (post 1700) +

  • Joyce Arleen Auger (1939-1993), American soprano singer
  • Arleen Augér (1939-1993), American opera and classical singer
  • Apollos P. Auger, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Genesee County, 1823 11
  • Brian Auger (b. 1939), English jazz and rock keyboardist
  • Michel Auger (1944-2020), Canadian journalist and crime reporter with Le Journal de Montréal
  • Claudine Auger (b. 1942), French actress best known for her role as Bond girl Dominique "Domino" Derval in the James Bond film Thunderball
  • Pierre Victor Auger (1899-1993), French physicist, eponym of the Pierre Auger Observatory


The Auger 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: Spectemur agendo
Motto Translation: Let us be judged by our actions.


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  3. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  4. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  7. "The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
  8. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  9. 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)
  10. Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.
  11. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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