Spriggs History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The history of the name Spriggs begins in the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It was a name for a person who because of their physical abilities was referred to as “sprack” or “spragg.” This nickname surname was used to denote those individuals who were “agile”, “nimble” and “quite lively.” 1 2 3

In Shakespeare’s comedy, The Merry Wives of Windsor, he states “He is a good sprag memory,” IV. i. 84. 4

Early Origins of the Spriggs family

The surname Spriggs was first found in Suffolk where Reginald Sprag is listed in Suffolk in 1303. This is generally considered to be the first record of the family. A few years later, Richard Sprak was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1327 and Alice Sprakes was listed in Somerset

Archaically known as Somersetshire, its name is derived from old English Sumortūnsǣte, the first use of the name is in law code at the time of the Saxon King of Wessex King Ine (688 to 726 CE). That makes Somerset one of the oldest extant units of local government in the league of Hampshire, Wiltshire and Dorset.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somerset in 1359. 5