The surname Taggart with all of it's variant spellings is of Gaelic origin. It is derived from Mac-an-t'Sagairt & the most accurate translation into English might be - son of the coarb. The office of coarb was both secular & ecclesiastic, being the hereditary head of the Gaelic monastery, similar to the role of the Abbott in the Abbey, especially in the context of the early Celtic church, which was very late in following the creed of celibacy. The surname has it's greatest density today in the north of Ireland & in Scotland, but is found throughout the United Kingdom, as well as all of the former British colonies. Variant spellings of the name are more common in Ireland. We hope to use DNA testing as part of our effort to illuminate the origins & early history of our surname. Please be advised that the current trend among researchers is to test at least 37 markers. If you have any questions about Taggart DNA testing, please contact me for assistance. Good luck to us all! Patrick Tagert, administrator