Wragg

This interesting surname, with variant spellings Wragg, Wragge, Wrag and Ragg, is of Scandinavian origin, and derives from the Old Danish personal name "Wraghi", or from "Rag", a short form of any of the various Anglo-Saxon male given names such as "Raginmund", composed of the Germanic elements "ragin", counsel, and "mund", protection, or "Raginwald", a compound of the Olde English pre 7th Century "regen", power, and "weald", force. "Wrag" (without surname) appears in the 1192 Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire, and the surname was first recorded in that year also (see below). Other early recordings include: William Wrag, witness in the 1221 Assize Court Rolls of Worcestershire, and Peter Ragge, in the 1273 Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire. On March 16th 1569, Marcell Wrag, an infant was christened at St. Lawrence', Pountney, London, and Beniamin Wragg, aged 24 yrs., who embarked from London on the ship "America" bound for Virginia was one of the earliest recorded namebearers to settle in the New World Colonies. A Coat of Arms granted to the family depicts a gold bend between two silver fleurs de-lis on a blue shield. The bend represents the shoulder belt worn by a warrior and signifies defense and protection. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William Wraggi, which was dated 1192, in the "Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire", during the reign of King Richard 1, known as "Richard the Lionheart", 1189 - 1199. 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.