Pogson

Recorded as Poag, Poge, Poage, Pogue, Puig, Pogg, Pudge, Poig, and the patronymics Pogson, Poxon, and Poggs, this interesting and unusual surname is of early medieval English origin. It is one of a handful of surnames surviving which were derived from the name of the first bearer's mother. This is because European society has been almost invariably patriarchal throughout history, and as a result the given name of the male head of the household has been handed on as a distinguishing name to successive generations. The derivation of the surname is from the Middle English female given name "Pogg(e)", a variant of "Mogg(e)", a diminutive of "Margaret". Margaret derived ultimately from a Persian word meaning "a child of light". The name appears to have originated in Antioch, capital of the Greek kingdom of Syria, and one of the earliest strongholds of the Christian faith. It was there that "Mild Margarete that was God's maid" was martyred in the 3rd Century. Early examples of the surname recording include on March 2nd 1549, Antonius, son of Johis Pogson, was christened at Kirkburton, Yorkshire, Ann Poegg marred Jon Martine at St Katherines by the Tower (of London), on December 3rd 1584, Elizabeth Poag married William Hoath at St James, Dukes Place, westminster, and Gabriel Puig married Jane Robinson at St Ann's Soho. also westminster, on May 10th 1786. A notable namebearer, Norman Robert Pogson (1829 - 1891), was an astronomer at Oxford, where he discovered four minor planets. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard Pogson, which was dated 1440, in "A Descriptive Catalogue of Sheffield Manorial Records", Yorkshire, during the reign of King Henry V1, known as "The Founder of Eton", 1422 - 1461.Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.