Galpen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The history of the name Galpen goes back those Anglo-Saxon tribes that once ruled over Britain. Such a name was given to a person who was a fast runner. The surname is derived from the Old Norman word walup and the Old French word galop. The word eventually became wallop which literally means to run. Therefore, the surname Galpen described the physical abilities of the original bearer.

Another source agrees the name was of French origin but was derived from "a flat-bottomed boat used to load and unload ships, the surname being applied to the crew members." 1

And yet another source claims that the name could have been "local-the last syllable being a corruption of Hope-Galhope." 2 This latter simplistic entry essentially means that the 19th century author proposes that the name could have been a local name from "Hope-Galhope," a place that we cannot find today.

Early Origins of the Galpen family

The surname Galpen was first found in Dorset at Strode, where the family has "a tradition of Danish or Swedish descent from a soldier of fortune who was living in 1465." 2

Early History of the Galpen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Galpen research. Another 60 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1590, 1619, 1625, 1629, 1640, 1650 and 1660 are included under the topic Early Galpen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Galpen Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Galpen family name include Gollop, Gallop, Gallup, Gollup and others.

Early Notables of the Galpen family

Notables of the family at this time include George Gallop or Gollop (1590-1650), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Southampton (1625-1629) and (1640-1650). Son of Thomas Gallop, of Strode, Dorset, he was a wealthy merchant who acquired Southampton Castle in 1619. He built a windmill on the motte of the castle. Only...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Galpen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Galpen migration to Australia +

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

Galpen Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

George Galpen, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Asia" in 1851 3

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
State Library of South Australia. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) ASIA 1851 from London 12 05 1851 and southampton with Captain Roskell, arrived Port Adelaide on 1-09-1851. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Asia.htm