Contents [hide]

Trigg History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Trigg History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Trigg

What does the name Trigg mean?

The more common variants of this family, Trigg, Triggs and Trickey are all patronymic as in "the son of Trig." 1 The name tends to be from Northern England, but has spread throughout England. It is thought the name originated with the Norwegian Trygg, or the Old Norse Tryggui, meaning "true, trusty." 2

"Tryggui was, of course, the father of King Olaf Trygguason (Oláfr konungr Trygguason) of the sagas. The form in our 13th- 14th cent. records was Trig and Tryg. " 3

We do know that Tryggui was a Viking chieftain who sailed "west across the sea" to establish Norse settlements in England and Ireland.

Early Origins of the Trigg family

The surname Trigg was first found in Yorkshire where the mononym Trig was a Knights Templar in 1185. A few years later, William Trig was listed in the Assize Rolls for Lincolnshire in 1202. Later, Ralph Trigge was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls for Lancashire in 1332. 4

By the time of the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, the family had spread throughout ancient England: Robert Trig, Cambridgeshire; William Triggs, Cambridgeshire; and Alan Trig, Lincolnshire. 1

In Somerset, a search through early rolls revealed William Tryg, Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year of Edward III's reign.) 5 In Yorkshire, Johannes Tryg was recorded in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 1

In Devon, the first record of the Trickey variant was found in 1238. 4

Early History of the Trigg family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Trigg research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1547, 1549, 1589, 1597, 1606, 1657, 1685 and 1801 are included under the topic Early Trigg History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Trigg Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Trigg has been recorded under many different variations, including Trigg, Trig, Trygg, Trygge, Tryg, Trick, Trigge, Trick and many more.

Early Notables of the Trigg family

Distinguished members of the family include

Francis Trigge (1547?-1606), English divine and economic writer...
While in Lincolnshire Trigge devoted considerable attention to the economic state of the country...

Trigg Ranking

In the United States, the name Trigg is the 6,832^nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 6

Trigg migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Trigg or a variant listed above:

Trigg Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Ellianor Trigg, who arrived in Virginia in 1639
Samuel Trigg, who landed in Virginia in 1639 7
Paul Trigg, who arrived in Virginia in 1654 7
John Trigg, who arrived at Maryland in 1675
Daniel Trigg, who arrived in Virginia in 1684 7

Trigg Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Daniel Trigg, a bonded passenger who arrived in Maryland in 1770

Trigg Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. S. Trigg, (b. 1796), aged 45, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth aboard the ship "Cornwall" arriving in the United States on 3 June 1841 8
Mrs. M. Trigg, (b. 1801), aged 40, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth aboard the ship "Cornwall" arriving in the United States on 3 June 1841 8
Mark Trigg, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1888 7

Trigg migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Trigg Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Trigg, English convict who was convicted in Herefordshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Florentia" on 14th August 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
Eliza Trigg, English convict from London, who was transported aboard the "Angelina" on April 25, 1844, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 10
Samuel Trigg, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Royal George" in 1848 11
John Trigg, aged 33, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Ramillies" 12

Trigg 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:

Trigg Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Joseph Trigg, aged 23, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Cuba" in 1840
Miss Lydia Trigg, (b. 1842), aged 17, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Mary Anne" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 4th August 1859 13
Mr. Absalom Trigg, (b. 1831), aged 32, British farm labourer travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "Brothers Pride" arriving in Lyttelton, South Island, New Zealand on 8th December 1863 13
Mrs. Anna Trigg, (b. 1835), aged 28, British settler travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "Brothers Pride" arriving in Lyttelton, South Island, New Zealand on 8th December 1863 13

Trigg migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 14

Trigg Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Mr. Thomas Trigg, aged 21, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Hopewell" arriving in Barbados on 17th February 1634 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Trigg (post 1700) +

Michael "Mike" Trigg, former American football quarterback and head coach in the Arena Football League
Mary K. Trigg, American Associate Professor in the Department of Women's and Gender Studies at Rutgers University
Johnny Trigg (b. 1938), American celebrity chef and television personality
Dewey Franklin "Frank" Trigg III (b. 1972), American mixed martial artist, color commentator, pro wrestler and TV host
Connally Findlay Trigg (1810-1880), American jurist, Judge of the United States District Court for Tennessee (1862-1880) and (1862-1880)
Stephen Trigg (1742-1782), American pioneer, soldier and politician, Member of the Virginia House of Delegates (1780-1781), (1778-1779) and (1774-1775), eponym of Trigg County, Kentucky
John J. Trigg (1748-1804), American farmer and politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia (1803-1804) and (1797-1803)
Connally Findlay Trigg (1847-1907), American Confederate soldier during the American Civil War and politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia (1885-1887)
Abram Trigg (1750-1813), American judge, militia general and politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia (1803-1809) and (1797-1803)
Jim Trigg, American luthier
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 27) Angelina voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1844 with 171 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/angelina/1844
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ROYAL GEORGE 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848RoyalGeorge.htm
South Australian Register Tuesday 11 January 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) RAMILLIES 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/ramillies1853.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies