Gedge Family History

Either from Middle English gig(ge) *jig(ge) gegge ‘silly fellow’ or from Middle English *kegge kigge ‘cheerful pleasant agreeable merry’ with voicing of the initial consonant in which case it is a variant of Kedge. The two words may have been confused.

The spelling Gegge can represent either of two pronunciations Gedge or Geg, a variant of Gage (or vice versa). Compare Willm. Gage 1575 Willm. Gadge 1586 in IGI (Hadleigh Suffolk) with Edmvnt Gedge 1558 in IGI (Hadleigh Suffolk); Andrew Gage 1381 in Poll Tax (Siddington Gloucs) with Thomas Gegg 1623 in IGI (Siddington Gloucs).

Perhaps a variant of Geake with the final consonant voiced to give Geg(g) but a development to Gedge is more difficult to explain. Compare John and Walter le Gek 1327 in Subsidy Rolls (Bukland Gloucs) and John le Gek 1327 in Subsidy Rolls (Winchester Hants) with the 1327 Gloucs and Hants examples of le Geg cited below.