The name chigger originated as a corruption of chigoe.
From the en.wikipedia.org
Stewart tells us about Christopher Columbus'crew members, who were made so miserable by toenail-burrowing chigoe fleas that some of them evidently cut off their own toes.
From the timesunion.com
Some were ingenious, such as Kenyan student Roy Ombatti's plan to turn recycled plastic into customised plastic shoes for Kenyans whose feet have been misshaped by the chigoe flea.