This is an Anglo-French surname of two possible origins. The first is locational from the villages of Burgate in Hampshire, Suffolk and Surrey. These villages all have the same meaning of 'the castle gate' from the Olde English pre 7th century 'burg-geat', and it is therefore equally possible that some nameholders do not derive from the villages but from residence at a 'burg-geat' anywhere in the country. To some extent this is born out by the early recordings which are far away from any regular village source, but on the other hand residential surnames were often granted to a person after they moved elsewhere, the name of their former home providing an easy method of identification.
Recorded in the spellings forms of Burgett, Burgot, Bygott, Burgott, Berget and Bourget, the latter two versions particularly seem to have a French source, the name also being recorded in France in those spellings. The meaning in France is given as patronymic and translating as 'Little Berg', with 'Berg' being a pre 10th century personal name. Early examples of the surname recording include Ralph atte Burgate in the 1260 Assize Rolls of Cambridge, Robert de Burhtzate of Gloucester in 1274, and Ingrame atte Burghzete of Somerset in the year 1333. The coat of arms granted in France has the blazon of a silver field, a blue fesse between three crescents. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Absalon de Burgate, which was dated 1198 in the pipe rolls of the county of Kent, during the reign of King Richard 1st, known as '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.
The origin, the coat of arms or the different heraldic shields, and the bibliography in which the surname burgett is mentioned are part of this exciting investigation. We can try to trace the genealogy of the surname burgett, and in addition to the original locations of burgett, we can find out where people with the surname burgett can currently be found.
The list of countries with a higher presence of people with the surname burgett provides us with a perspective on the history of the surname, beyond its origins, focusing on its migrations. The mobility of people carrying the surname burgett has led to its presence in different countries, as you can verify.
For those like you, who are interested in the history hidden behind the surname burgett, it is essential to find all kinds of information, both direct and tangential, that helps to construct a solid narrative of how the birth and expansion of burgett developed. The history, heraldry, coats of arms, and possible nobility of the surname burgett are scattered in documents across various regions and historical periods, so it is necessary to reconstruct a complex puzzle to approach the facts from a realistic perspective.
We keep our website updated through our own research and also thanks to contributions from people like you, after verification; so if you have information about burgett and send it to us, we will update it on this website. Please note that if you are in a position to provide more data about the surname burgett or any other surname and its origin, we would appreciate your collaboration with us by sending us information about the origin of burgett.
Sadly, not all the contributions of those who bore the surname burgett were recorded by the chroniclers of the time. A surname like burgett can connect a person to an illustrious lineage and a distinguished coat of arms. However, it must be kept in mind that it is individual people who, through their lives and actions, bring fame and recognition to their surnames.
The origin, history, coat of arms or different coats of arms, and the heraldry of burgett are recorded in a wide variety of sources and documents that are essential to know for better compilation. We consider it highly advisable to refer to the following sources if you wish to conduct research on the surname burgett, as well as many other surnames.
These sources are essential for initiating the understanding of burgett, and at the same time, of surnames in general.