Carey, The German word for goat is "Ziege", pronounced Zee - ge. The earliest name close to this (of people on record as coming over on a ship) is the Ziegenfuss of the late 1700's. But, over the years, many, many different spellings and pronunciations have surfaced. Most researchers of this family name have come across a bewildering array of variations. What is your relation to the Sigafoose family. mine stems from my wife, whose great-grandfather was George Henry, born in Winchester, VA in 1812. right now, he is our 'stonewall'. Bob S