Jaeggi

This interesting name is a Swiss variant of a very Olde European surname, which can derived from either an occupational name or a nickname for a hunter, huntsman, that is, for one employed as a huntsman or one who pursued hunting as a pastime. The ultimate derivation is from the Olde High German verb "Jagon", to hunt, in modern German "Jagen", of which the modern surname "Jager" is an agent derivative. Other European forms are the Dutch "De Jager" and Danish "Jaeger", while in Switzerland both "Jaeggi" and "Jaggi" are found. The latter form is recorded heraldically in Basle and in Berne, the first is "A black Lion, Demi-Rampant, holding a Baton on Gold, arising from Blue water", and that belonging to Berne is "A Demi-Talbot Rampant on Red arising from a Green mound". The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Samuel Jaggi, which was dated 1834, married Anne Atkinson by Civil Licence in London, during the reign of King William IV, "The Sailor King" 1830 - 1837. 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.