Baglin (surname)

BAGLIN Meanings and Origins - According to the ‘Baglin Blazon of Arms’, Baglin is a patronym “The Descendant of (old French, diminutive suffix ‘-in’ or ‘-an’) Baga”, an old personal name meaning “strife, battle”.

Baglin, originally German Boegl, can also mean Archer (Bowman). Research by Thomas J Baglin suggests that at some point the Boegl's from Germany split in two. One branch stayed with the Franks (German) and went to France via the Rhine while the other section went into France and on to Normandy via the Vikings and subsequently into England with the Norman Conquest of 1066, after which Baglin's settled in Gloucestershire and in due time some of them became landowners and farmers.

A report and description of Baglin shield
"The Ship's Chandler" in Vermont; a report and description of Baglin shield thus :
 * Twist of alternating blue and yellow cord atop helmet.
 * Shield: teardrop in shape, background, azure blue.
 * From upper left corner to lower right quadrant, a Bandlet Sinistre - black; as held by the bearer.
 * From the upper right quadrant, either a crow, or Gibbet, in black.
 * From lower left quadrant, three crescent moons.
 * Below the name scripted "Baglan."

According to "The Ship's Chandler," the interpretation is thus: The lore goes thus; M. Baglan was in jail awaiting execution for some offense. He escaped, but rather than flee to preserve his own life, he chose to identify himself to the guard officer to announce an impending sneak attack upon the sleeping Christian encampment. As a reward for risking the gallows to inform the garrison of the coming fight, and living through the attack, the criminal charges were dropped, and the awarding of the shield, and rank. As Thomas J. Baglin understands a story about the Third Crusade, at Acre, the Christians were bedded down for the night, M. Baglan was in jail, but escaped and helped to thwart a devastating attack that might have ended the life of Richard The Lionhearted.
 * The Bandlet Sinistre is a sign that the person was raised to the rank of a Knight, but the award was done so without willing support of the king/ruler.
 * It Is a left-handed compliment for a deed of great service, and material importance.
 * The Crow/Gibbet signified that the person was under criminal charges and going to be hanged/executed quite soon.
 * Crescent moons signified being on a crusade, and returned to tell about it.

''Truth? Fiction? Unsubstantiated truth?''

Name variants
The name Baglin has been around for millennia and the spelling has been "massacred" many times over in England and France. A common practice in centuries past when many people couldn’t spell their own names, as with many historic names, was to record the name as it was rendered phonetically. Hence, over time, variations in spelling are revealed.


 * Baglin started out as Boegl.


 * Baglin; a descendent name from Baguelin (meaning ‘fighter’) found more popularly in France from around Paris, westward.


 * Baglin; a descendent name from Boeglin, found primarily in Alsace, predominates in France eastward from Paris. Also found in Swiss records.


 * Baglin; established millennia in Gloucestershire, England, variants within the same families during the 17 century includes Baggland, Bagland and Baglan.


 * Baglan, a form of the name ‘Baglin’ found around Paris.


 * De Baglion, Baglion and Baglin; c1420 prince Louis d’Anjou fled from Naples, Italy to Mayenne, France (now the department of Mayenne) and with him some warriors including Michel Baglioni who later married “Isabeau de Surcolmont” and become Earl of la Dufferie. Michel Baglioni originated from Perouse, Italy changed is name to Baguelin, later becoming Baglin and finally Baglion.  It is reportedly stated that Baglioni are descendants of “Odon” who came from Germany during the German invasion of Rome in the later phases of the Germanic Wars which ended with the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th Century.


 * Boecklin, a name used by younger males of the Boeglin family. Means ‘Little Buck’ e.g. younger son(s) wanting some sort of distinction/recognition/independence from their elder brother(s)? Currently, "Boecklin" is a "stand-alone" name of record in the USA.

Baglin Street in Bronte, New South Wales, Australia
Named after Llewellyn Baglin (1824-1885)

Baglin Street, Bronte, was named for Councillor Lewellin (sometimes spelt Llewellyn) Baglin, a member of Waverley Council 1869-1875 and 1877-1884.

In 1885, a year after his retirement from Council, the Improvement Committee of Council recommended that a street in Bronte be named Baglin Street in his honour. Although the street was named from 1885, it often does not appear in street directories from that date because it had no houses and was just an unmade road, until 1922. In 1922 when the first residence was built and occupied, Baglin Street as a residential address was born.


 * Lewellin/Llewellyn Baglin
 * Lewellin/Llewellyn Baglin was born in Gloucestershire England in approximately 1824, migrating to Australia in 1856 with his wife Mary Baglin (nee Bick), whom he had married in Gloucestershire. His occupation during most of his life in Australia is listed as "builder". At the time of his death he had six children still living, including Frank (Francis W), Henry (Thomas Henry), Mary, Clara, Amy and Emma. He is buried in Waverley Cemetery, plot no. 1356-1361 in the Church of England Ordinary part of the Cemetery, Section 6.

Source: Local Studies Librarian, Waverley Library.

Baglin Street in Smythesdale, Victoria, Australia
Map Location of Baglin Street

The dotted section of Lock St (south section) in the linked Google Map above is actually known as Baglin Street.

Baglyn Avenue, Staple Hill, Bristol, England
Daniel Baglin (c1813-1883) and his son James Poulton Baglin (c1835-1912) from Uley, Gloucestershire, in the late 19th century set up a 111-acre farm in Staple Hill, Bristol. Daniel worked 90 acres and his son worked 21 acres; they named the farm "Baglyn Farm". In the 1960's when the land was developed for residential housing, one of the roads where the Farm once stood was named "Baglyn Avenue".