Show ContentsCupit History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Cupit surname finds its earliest origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name is derived from the personal name Jacob. The surname Cupit is derived from Cob, which is a pet form of the name Jacob, and is supplemented by the common diminutive suffix -et. Some experts state that the surname Cupit is a nickname derived from the Old English word cubit, which means elbow. One expert is dumbfounded: "I cannot explain the somewhat common and well-known surname, unless it be a diminutive or corruption of a personal name. " 1

Early Origins of the Cupit family

The surname Cupit was first found in Norfolk, where Geoffrey Cobet and Roger Cobet were both listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. 2

Early History of the Cupit family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cupit research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1400 and 1566 are included under the topic Early Cupit History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cupit Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Cupit are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Cupit include: Cubitt, Cowbitt, Cobbett, Cubyt, Cubbert, Cubit and many more.

Early Notables of the Cupit family

More information is included under the topic Early Cupit Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Australia Cupit migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Cupit Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Martin Cupit, English convict who was convicted in Derby, Derbyshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Equestrian" on 27th August 1852, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Cupit (post 1700) +

  • Danny E. Cupit, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Mississippi, 1980 4


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/equestrian
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook