A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Bigsby family of England.
Reg. 9170 · English, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Historical info
Source
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“Az. an eagle displ. or, armed gu”
SuffolkStowmarket · Suffolk, c. 1620
Where the Bigsby Arms Were Recorded
Suffolk
Map of England showing where the Bigsby arms are recorded
The Bigsby arms were recorded in Suffolk, c. 1620.
Suffolk was wool country, and its cloth towns were among the wealthiest in England. Clothier families bought manors with their profits, and holding a manor was the ordinary route to a coat of arms.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in England in this period.
James VI and I
Sovereign of the period
James VI and I
1603–1625
Reigning in England when the Bigsby arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in England
English heraldry allowed arms to be shared by all legitimate descendants of the original owner. These symbols were treated as personal property that moved through the generations to all children. While the eldest son kept the original design, other family members could use the same shield without needing to change it or register their own unique versions.
Granting authority
The College of Arms in London has regulated the use of coats of arms throughout England and Wales since 1484.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through a formal grant from the Crown or by proving their ancient right to them.
Where arms were recorded
All official coats of arms are recorded in the registers kept at the College of Arms, which date back to the fifteenth century.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Suffolk.
Origin & History of the Bigsby Family in England
The family name Bigsby originated as a locational surname, which means it was likely derived from a specific place name in England. Etymologists suggest the name stems from Old Norse roots, combining a personal name with the suffix "by," which translates to a farmstead or village. By the year 1620, historical records confirm that members of the Bigsby family were well-established in the county of Suffolk. During this period, families in East Anglia were often involved in local agriculture, trade, or the burgeoning textile industry that defined the region. As the family grew, they became part of the social fabric of Suffolk, contributing to the local parish life and community development that characterized seventeenth-century rural England.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Byggvir
Old Norse name meaning barley or grain.
This name
BigsbyRefers to a settlement or farmstead belonging to a person named Byggvir.
also spelled
Bygsby
Bigsbie
Bygsbie
Related arms
Dawesrecorded with Bigsby, same area
Rivettrecorded with Bigsby, same area
Rustrecorded with Bigsby, same area
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Reaney, P.H. and Wilson, R.M., A Dictionary of English Surnames, 1991
Suffolk Archives, Parish registers for the county of Suffolk, 1620
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eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
