Twiggs - Name

The name Twigg is derived from an Old English pre 7th Century word "Twigge" meaning Twigg or Shoot, it was used as a nickname for a very thin person, since the word only occurs late in the old English period and was initially confined to northern dialects it may be a borrowing from the Old Norse. The surname is first recorded toward the end of the 13th Century (see below). Devonshire Church Records show variations of Twigg i.e. Twigges and Twiggs. In 1586 one, Pascow Twigges was christened at St. Davids Church, Exeter, Devon. The final "(e)s" on the name indicates the patronymic i.e. "son of (Twigg)", the "s" being a reduced form of "son of", a Coat of Arms was granted to Twigg, this being a "Blue Field with Three Diagonal Stripes in Gold", denoting generosity and loyalty. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Twyg, which was dated 1296 "The Assize Court Rolls of Cheshire", during the reign of King Edward I, 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.