Wragg One-Name Study

Wragg
One-Name Study

Topics

About the Wragg One-Name Study
Variants
Origin of the surname
Historical occurrences
Frequency of the name
Distribution of the name
Data
Links
Contact Details

About the Wragg One-Name Study

My webisite is dedicated to the research of the WRAGG surname worldwide.

All references sought - in any area, any time.

My main aim is to unite our WRAGG families wherever possible.

Variants

Wrag, Wragge, Rag, Rage, Ragg, Ragge.

Origin of the surname

WRAGG NAME ORIGINS

One source believes the WRAGG family can trace their ancestors back to between the 11th & 12th centuries in England. The name appearing to be of Anglo-Saxon origin. First appearing in medieval records in Leicestershire.

Another source states that the surname WRAGG was a baptismal name ‘the son of Ragg’ - a name peculiar to Yorkshire.

Another believes the name might have originated as a ‘nickname’ (i.e. Rich was a wealthy person, RAGG was a poor poverty stricken person) I believe that RAGG was not poor at all because the name originated as a Scandinavian personal name old Danish WRAGI or WRAGHI which comes from Oddy. (The name is also spelt , RAG, RAGE, RAGG, RAGGE, WRAG and WRAGGE)

I'm told by another researcher that the name WRAGG originally came from the name 'ragna' which is still a forename in Norway..Lord Ragna, a Viking Lord raped and pillaged his way down the East Riding of Yorkshire prior to the 11th century..leaving little Wraggs along the way.

Yet another source believes the name WRAGG derived from: descendant of RAGG (the gods).

According to the Oxford Dictionary of Surnames RAGGE meant ‘rough stone’ or in Old English ‘moss or lichen’ - maybe, therefore the name referred to the area they lived in?

Historical occurrences

The earliest names I have found on record are:

1192 = William Wragi - Pipe Rolls, Worcestershire

1193 = Wrag - Pipe Rolls, Northamptonshire

1221 = William/John Wrag - Assize Rolls, Warwickshire

1273 = Peter RAGGE County Yorkshire.

1281 = Robert, Maud and Thomas le RAGGED living at Hathersage

1323 = A descriptive catalogue of Ancient Deeds, Lincolnshire

1379 = Johannes RAGGE , Poll Tax, Yorkshire,

Later records include;

1620 = Thomas WRAGG and Elizabeth Houblon who were married in London

1658 -1727 = Edward, Adam, James , John , William RAGG - Church Wardens Accounts , Wirksworth, Derbyshire.

1662 - 1670 = Adam. Henry, Rowland RAGG of Matlock and Anthony, Edward, James RAGG of Wirksworth and John RAGG of Bonsall - Wirksworth, Derbyshire Hearth Tax Returns

1743 = William Rhodes and Ann RAGG were married in St. George’s, Hanover Square, London the

1747 = Richard Hunter and Ann RAGG were wed at St. James’s, Clerkenwell, London

Frequency of the name

My research so far tells me that the WRAGG name originates most frequently in the Derbyshire and Yorkshire areas.

Distribution of the name

I am working on the distribution of this surname at various times in the past using 1881 census, NBI

and other records up to present day. Watch this space for more.

Data

Other data sources for my study include the following;

? International Genealogical Index (IGI), produced by The Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints

? Civil Registration Indexes Births/Marriages/Deaths for England & Wales 1837 - 1904

? 1881 Census records for England & Wales

? 1901 Census records for England & Wales

? Various Census Records so far mainly for Derbyshire & Yorkshire 1841 to 1871 & 1891

? Parish Records extracts for various Derbyshire & Yorkshire towns/villages and some others in pipeline.

? Some English Will extracts from 1661 to 1929

? US Social Security Death Index

? National Burial Index for England & Wales

? Monumental Inscriptions, mainly Derbyshire & Yorkshire

If you have any information on WRAGGs, be it certificates, newspaper items, birth/marriage/death announcements, photographs - in fact anything whatever size, place, time - all gratefully received. Look-ups offered. Maybe I already have that record you are looking for?

Links

MY FAVOURITE LINKS

For Genealogy

Wirksworth Parish Records & More .............www.wirksworth.org.uk

Free B.M.Ds ...........................................http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/

GRO Records On-Line ...............................http://www.1837online.com/Trace2web/

Free Census On-Line ................................http://freecen.rootsweb.com/cgi/search.pl

LDS website ............................................http://www.familysearch.org/

Genes Reunited ........................................http://www.genesconnected.co.uk/

Contact details

For further information, contact:

Mrs Carol K Toulson
E-mail:

This page last updated 25 February 2008.