Figgess

This interesting surname has a number of possible origins. Firstly, it may derive from the German "Feige" meaning fig, and would have been a topographical name for someone who lived by a fig tree or a metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of figs. The surname may also be of Viking origin and descend from "vig" meaning war. Oddly enough this was a personal name which was usually incorporated into a compound, such as vig-brand, vig-hard, vig-laf, etc. The change from "v" to "f" and vice-versa is common in England as in venn to fenn, etc.. Another possibility is that it originated from the Old French "fiche", an iron point, and would have been a metonymic occupational name for one who used this, e.g. a planter or someone who used a pointed weapon. One Richard Fige, is noted in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire (1273). In the modern idiom the surname has many variant spellings eg. Fig, Figge, Figgess, Figgins, Figgs, etc.. On April 13th 1586, the marriage of Mary Figg and John Hull took place at St. Gregory by St. Paul, London. Marie, daughter of Thomas Figg was christened on May 3rd 1601, at St. Mary le Bow, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William Fig, which was dated 1273, in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, during the reign of King Edward 1, known as "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1307. 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.