Siege

This unusual and interesting name recorded in the spellings of Sigg, Siggs, Segges, Segge, Seage, Siege, and no doubt others, is English but of Norse Viking pre 8th century origins. The derivation is from the personal name 'Sigegor', which broadly translates as 'victory-spear', and is a good example of the double or sometimes triple, element names so popular in the period. These names are built around the beliefs in religion, valour and success, and were probably necessary to prop up society, at a time when after the collapse of the Roman Empire in the 5th century, as in the 20th century, the underpinnings of civilisation were removed. The early recordings of this name include such examples as 'Sigga' in the Danelaw Rolls of Lincoln in the year 1162, and Sigge of Anemere in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk in 1275. John Sygges is recorded in Suffolk in 1524, and Colet Sege at St Margaret Moses, London, on August 7th 1558. John Siege was christened at St Martins in the Field, Westminster, on October 10th 1713, and Richard Seage was a witness at St Giles Cripplegate, London, on August 28th 1808. The name has also provided the suffix for such names as Sigfrid, Sigward and Sigmund found as both personal and surnames. The coat of arms has the blazon of a gold field charged with a black bend, and thereon three knights spurs pierced of the field. The crest is a dolphin haurient. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Aunketillus Sigge, which was dated 1214, in the Pipe Rolls of Dorset, during the reign of King John of England, known as 'Lackland', 1199 - 1216. 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.