Eagers - what does Eagers surname mean?

This ancient and distinguished surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and derives from the Olde English pre 7th Century male personal name `Eadgar`, composed of the elements `ead`, prosperity, fortune, with `gar`, spear; the first element was a distinguishing mark of the royal house of Wessex. Eadgar (944 - 975), the grandson of Alfred, was one of the most successful kings of that house, and his name became a favourite among the English, and survived the Norman Conquest, unlike many native English given names. It is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as `Edgar` and `Etgar`, and appears in Suffolk as `Aedgar` (1095), and `Adger` (1182). The personal name was also found early in Scotland, where the first of the name recorded is Eadgar, King of the Scots, who reigned from 1097 - 1100. The surname was established there by the early 14th Century, when Richard Edgar of Wedderbie was a witness at the second marriage of King Robert Bruce (1306 - 1329). Recordings of the surname from London Church Registers include that of the marriage of James Edgar and Joane Watson at St. Giles` Cripplegate, on August 14th 1605. A Coat of Arms granted to a family of the name depicts a gold cross formee between four gold martlets on a blue shield. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Thomas Edgar, which was dated 1250, in the `Book of Fees of Surrey`, during the reign of King Henry 111, known as `The Frenchman`, 1216 - 1272. 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.

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