Surname Biggar - Meaning and Origin
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Biggar: What does the surname Biggar mean?
The last name Biggar is an English and Scottish toponymic surname meaning "person from Biggar", a village in the South Lanarkshire area of Scotland. It has also appeared as a variant as Biggar inAyrshire and Biggarshiels in Tweeddale. The name isrelated to the Old English language word "bigge" meaning "hill" or "heap".
Biggar is also an occupational surname, derived from an old English word "biggere", which means a "maker of bigs or boughs". This was an important trade in the pastoral farming industry of the 12th century, where bigs were used to make nets for catching game and fish. In the lowlands of Scotland, the Biggar family were mainly weavers.
The Biggar name is quite common in North America, particularly in the United States and Canada. It is primarily found in areas with well-established port cities such as New England, New York, New Jersey, Virginia and Florida.The name is also present in native communities in Canada, particularly in the British Columbia and Alberta provinces.
The Biggar name is unique and embodies a rich Scottish heritage. It serves as a reminder of a past era, whereas the family have played an important role in the development of society, culture and industry.
Order DNA origin analysisBiggar: Where does the name Biggar come from?
The last name Biggar is predominantly found in Scotland, especially in the western part of the country, particularly in Ayrshire and the borders area. It has also spread to other countries with Scottish diasporas such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States.
The name is believed to derive from the place of Biggar in South Lanarkshire and it is linked to a family of the same name that has an illustrious history in Scotland over the centuries. They can trace their ancestral roots back to the earliest records of nobility, particularly the noble 12th-century family, the de Biggars.
It is thought that the Biggars were Borderers, which means they lived in the marches of north of England and Scotland and were involved in a lot of intermarriage with families from the borders. This may explain why today, the name can be found across the British Isles and beyond.
In recent years, there has been a notable increase in the use of the name Biggar. Common surnames outside Scotland that have variations of Biggar include Bickart, Bickert and Biggart. The name has been used for various businesses including places such as Biggar Caravan Park, Biggar Little Brewers and Biggar Motorbike Museum, and even an online gaming system called Biggar Central.
In summary, the last name Biggar is common in Scotland, but can also be found in other parts of the UK, Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand.
Variations of the surname Biggar
The surname Biggar is of English and Scottish origin and has many variant spellings and surnames of the same origin. Biggar is derived from the place name Biggar in South Lanarkshire, Scotland and it was a habitational name which is a form of surname that derived from a place-name – the inhabitants of a place would often take their name from the name of the place that they lived.
Variants of the Biggar surname include Beggar, Begge, Bigger, Bugger, Buggar. It can also be found in some form as Biggars, Biggerstaff, Biggars, Biggrs and Buggarts.
Variant spellings with slight variations can also occur, for example, Biger, Bullgar, Bigarre, Bufarr, and Bupar. In some families Bigger is the form used while Begger or Buggar is used in other families.
Surnames of the same origin can be Biggarman, Beggarman, or Birdgar, Birker, Bikar, Birgar, Birgars. All these surnames are believed to have derived from Biggar.
The original meaning of Biggar was “the dwelling place of Protestant immigrants from Galloway, Scotland” in which the term was and is used to describe landless Scots who migrated south to England or Ireland at the turn of the 17th century.
Famous people with the name Biggar
- David Biggar: Emmy Award-winning TV host and writer. He is well known for being the host of the Travel Channel's "Bizarre Foods America" and "Man vs. Food" series.
- Jean Biggar: a Canadian singer, best known as the lead vocalist of band The Wet Secrets.
- Grant Biggar: a Canadian-American actor, known for his roles in the films "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and "Game of Thrones".
- Joe Biggar: Emmy-nominated actor who played the role of Rayanne in the hit series "My So-Called Life".
- James Biggar: British orchestra conductor who was the musical director of the Northern Ireland Symphony Orchestra.
- Hugh Biggar: a Canadian professional hockey player and coach who served as the head coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
- Mark Biggar: British actor who appeared in the BBC television drama "Dr. Who".
- Sean Biggar: a two-time Grammy Award-winning music producer and engineer.
- Jamie Biggar: Canadian voice actor and theatre performer who starred in the musicals "Cabaret" and "Rent".
- Dean Biggar: Canadian voice actor who has done work for cartoons, video games, commercials and promos.