Soggee

This rare and intriguing name is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and represents an unusual and much changed survival of an Old English pre 7th Century personal name or nickname, derived from the Old English 'sucga', sparrow, small bird. The personal name can be found in the placenames Sugworth in Berkshire, 'Sucga's enclosure', and Sugnall in Staffordshire. 'Sucga's hill', recorded as 'Sogenhul' in 1242. The surname from this source is unusual in that it survived the influence of the Normans and the consequent introduction of Old French names after the Conquest of 1066. The development of the name includes Margerie Sough (1578, Shropshire), Johane Sodge (1580, Warwickshire) and Edith Sugge (1591, Somerset). The modern surname can be found as Sogg(e), Soggee, Sugg(e) and Suggey. The christening of one Israel Soggee was recorded in Kent in January 1668, and Ann Sogg married Edward Batwyn at Coleshill in Berkshire on February 15th 1753. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Maria Sogge (christening), which was dated July 2nd 1543, Thorndon, Suffolk, during the reign of King Henry V111, 'Good King Hal', 1509 - 1547. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.