Borgnet

This ancient and noble French surname has unusual origins. Recorded in many spelling forms including Le Borgne, Leborgne, Borgne, Borgnet, Borgnol, Borniol, Bornet, Bornot, and de Borgnet, this is surname is medieval. It is one of a group of nicknames for people with some claimed physical deformity, in this case a squint. The medieval times, rightly or wrongly, did not even pay lip service to political correctness. If a person suffered a visual difference from their neighbours, then for ease of identification, by this mark they were known. Nicknaming of this sort transcended social barriers, perhaps the most famous international example being King Richard 111rd of England, who was killed at the battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. He was known as "Hunchback", although it is possible that this was a later nickname created for political reasons to blacken his name. Furthermore as with this surname, the original nickname did not stop with the original holder, becoming hereditary in the second generation, the diminutive forms of Borgnet and Borgnol for instance, meaning Little Borgne or son of Borgne. As however there is or was at least one noble family of Le Borgne, and as no less than ten coats of arms were granted to the nameholders in France prior to 1792, clearly the meaing of the name has not been any sort of drawback to its success. The most outstanding blazon is probably that granted to the Count Le Borgne's, whose estates were in Picardy. This has an eagle sable, on a field of gold.