The English surname Briggs is a northern England variant form of the name Bridge. The name is derived from the Middle English term brigge  meaning “bridge,” and the Old English term  brycg, applied as a topographic name for someone who lived near a bridge, a metonymic occupational name for a bridge keeper, or a habitational name from any of the places named with this element, as for example Bridge in Kent or Bridge Sollers in Herefordshire. The first recording of the surname from this source is that of Gilbert atte Brigge, in the 1272 Pipe Rolls of Surrey. An notable bearer was Henry Briggs (1561 - 1630), Professor of Astronomy, who published the early books of astral navigation.