Epper History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The Epper surname first began to be used in the German state of Bavaria, some time after the 12th century, when hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules, and names that were derived from locations became particularly common. The family name Epper is a local surname. Originally denoting the proprietorship of an estate or influence within a village, the German preposition von, which means from or of, used with local names, was taken as a mark of aristocracy. The surname Epper was given to someone who lived in Bavaria, where they became known from the early Middle Ages as an important family within the social and cultural life of the community.

Early Origins of the Epper family

The surname Epper was first found in Bavaria, where the family held a family seat in the Middle Ages. Individual bearers of the name first mentioned in ancient chronicles include Eberhart and Friedericus of Ebs in Bavaria in 1190, Albertus (Appelinus) dictus Eppelin in Heilbronn in 1283, Rudel Eppfeler in Glatz in 1367, Nicholous Eppler in Iglau in 1390.

Early History of the Epper family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Epper research. Another 319 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1290, 1295, 1434, 1515, 1586, 1598, 1717 and 1814 are included under the topic Early Epper History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Epper Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Epper include Epple, Eppler, Epler, Eppel, Eppell, Eppli, Epp, Eppo, Eppe, Eppard, Eppele, Eppelin, Eppeler, Eppfeler, Eppelen, Epplen, Eppan, Eppaner, Epplan, Eplan, Epling, Eppling, Eps, Epps, Ebs, Ebbs, Eppes, Epes, Eppley and many more.

Early Notables of the Epper family

Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Epper Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Epper migration to the United States +

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from Bavaria who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. For many Bavarian tenant farmers, the chance to own their own land was a major incentive. So the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlement centered in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were:

Epper Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Cath Theresia Epper, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1846 1

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)