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Show ContentsHopkinson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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Hopkinson is an ancient Anglo-Saxon surname that came from the name Hobb, a pet form of the personal name Robert. This name was supplemented by the common diminutive suffix -kin and the patronymic suffix -son, which superseded all other English patronymic suffixes during the 14th century. 1

Early Origins of the Hopkinson family

The surname Hopkinson was first found in Cheshire, where Richard Hobbekynessone was found at Putnam in 1354. Later, in the historic English county of Yorkshire, John Hopkynson was listed in 1469. 2

Early History of the Hopkinson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hopkinson research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1567, 1583, 1610, 1680, 1737, 1776 and 1791 are included under the topic Early Hopkinson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hopkinson Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Hopkinson has been recorded under many different variations, including Hopkinson, Hobkinson and others.

Early Notables of the Hopkinson family

Notables of the family at this time include

  • William Hopkinson (fl. 1583), English divine, graduated B.A. in 1567 from St. John's College, Cambridge, and was a minister in Lincolnshire, perhaps at Kirton in Lindsey in that county. 3
  • John Hopkinson (1610-1680), was an English antiquary, son of George Hopkinson of Lofthouse, near Leeds, by his second wife, Judith, daughter of John Langley of Horbury, born at Lofthouse in 1610. (NBi...
  • Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791), was an author and composer. He designed Continental paper money, the first United States coin, and two early versions of the American flag, one for the United States and...

United States Hopkinson migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Hopkinson or a variant listed above:

Hopkinson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Daniel Hopkinson, who arrived in Virginia in 1634 4
  • Mr. Michell Hopkinson, aged 27, who arrived in Virginia in 1634 aboard the ship "Bonaventure" coming via St. Domingo 5
  • Daniel Hopkinson, who settled in Virginia in 1637 with his wife Michele
  • Michael Hopkinson, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1640 4
  • Jonathan Hopkinson, who arrived in Maryland in 1666 4
Hopkinson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Thomas Hopkinson, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1773 4
Hopkinson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Charles and Joseph Hopkinson, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1853
  • John Hopkinson, who landed in Mississippi in 1889 4

Canada Hopkinson migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hopkinson Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. William Hopkinson U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 6

Australia Hopkinson migration to Australia +

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

Hopkinson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Hopkinson who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Bussorah Merchant" on 24th March 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
  • Mr. Samuel Hopkinson, English convict who was convicted in Derby, Derbyshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 20th January 1836, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
  • T. Hopkinson, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Posthumous" in 1849 9
  • Emelia Hopkinson, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Asia" in 1851 10
  • John Hopkinson, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Mount Stuart Elphinstone" in 1851 11

New Zealand Hopkinson migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Hopkinson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Henry Hopkinson, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1843
  • Mr. William Hopkinson, (b. 1836), aged 22, English police constable from England travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st September 1858 12
  • W. Hopkinson, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 8th December 1863 12
  • William Hopkinson, aged 55, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Halcione" in 1875 13
  • Sarah Hopkinson, aged 40, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Halcione" in 1875 13
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Hopkinson (post 1700) +

  • Frances Hopkinson (1737-1791), American author and jurist, Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Pennsylvania (1789-1791), signer of Declaration of Independence
  • Charles Hopkinson Ph.D., American Senior Scientist at The Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole
  • Charles Sydney Hopkinson (1869-1962), American portrait painter and landscape watercolorist
  • Carl Hopkinson (b. 1981), former English cricketer and current coach
  • Bobby Thomas Hopkinson (b. 1990), professional English footballer
  • Bertram Hopkinson CMG, FRS (1874-1918), English patent lawyer and Professor of Mechanism and Applied Mechanics at Cambridge University
  • Sir Alfred Hopkinson (1851-1939), English lawyer, academic and politician
  • John Hopkinson (1849-1898), English engineer and physicist who developed the eponymous Hopkinson's law, Fellow of the Royal Society and President of the IEE twice in 1890 and 1896
  • Nalo Hopkinson (b. 1960), Jamaican science fiction and fantasy writer and editor
  • Major-General George Frederick Hopkinson OBE, MC (1896-1943), British Army officer who commanded the 1st Airborne Division during the Second World War
  • ... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. Denys Clifford Hopkinson, British Pay Lieutenant, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 14
  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  4. 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)
  5. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  6. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bussorah-merchant
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
  9. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The POSTHUMOUS 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Posthumous.htm
  10. 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
  11. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) MOUNT STUART ELPHINSTONE 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851MountStuartElphinstone.gif
  12. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  13. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th December 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  14. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
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