Draco

Recorded in several spellings including Drage, Drago, Dragoe, Dragon (English), Draco, Drago, Drogon, and diminutives Dragonet, Dragonette, Dragoni, Draggon (French), Draco and Drago (Spanish & Portugese), with possibly other spellings, this is a surname of ancient origins. Derived from the Roman (Latin) word draco, it originally described a dragon or serpent. "El Draco" was the nickname given by both the Spanish and the French to Sir Francis Drake who terrorised the Iberian Peninsula, and what was known as the Spanish Main, from about 1580 to 1595. In fact the word and the surname properly describes a standard bearer or dragonier, one who carried "colours" into battle. This was at the same time a post of great honour, and one of the dangerous posts in an army, The Colours" being the rallying point in battle, and the saving of them, a matter of great pride. The tropping of the colours remain today as one of the few meaningful associations with our history. Early examples of recordings include Walter Dragon in the pipe rolls of Yorkshire, England, in the year 1166, whilst Adam le Dragoner was a standard bearer in the army of King Edward 111rd of England, 1327 - 1377. Later recording examples include Ellin Drago at St Margarets Westminster, on April 16th 1604, and in France where most records and registers were destroyed during the the Revolution of 1792, that of Simon Dragonet at Bormes, in the departement of Var, on April 23rd 1696.