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Jasper History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Jasper History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The distinguished surname Jasper emerged among the industrious people of Flanders, which was an important trading partner and political ally of Britain during the Middle Ages. As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. One of the most common classes of surname is the patronymic surname, which was usually derived from the first name of the person's father. Flemish surnames of this type are often characterized by the diminutive suffix -kin, which became very frequent in England during the 14th century. The surname Jasper is derived from the personal name Jasper, which is the usual English form of the French names Caspar, Gaspar, and Gaspard.

Early Origins of the Jasper family

The surname Jasper was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Jasper family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jasper research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Jasper History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jasper Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Jasper, Jaspers and others.

Early Notables of the Jasper family

Prominent in the family at this time was

Jasper of Cornwall

Jasper Ranking

In the United States, the name Jasper is the 3,038^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. [1]

Jasper migration to the United States +

A search of the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Jasper:

Jasper Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Jasper, who landed in Virginia in 1634 [2]
John Jasper, who settled in Virginia in 1641

Jasper Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John William Jasper, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1767 [2]

Jasper Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Gerh Lucas Jasper, who landed in America in 1813-1820 [2]
Heinr Rudolf Jasper, who arrived in America in 1840 [2]
Joh Heinr Jasper, who arrived in America in 1840 [2]
Cath Gert Jasper, who landed in America in 1840 [2]
Rudolph Jacob Jasper, who landed in America in 1840 [2]
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Jasper Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. Ernest E. Jasper, (b. 1884), aged 19, Cornish farmer travelling aboard the ship "St Paul" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 6th June 1903 en route to Duluth, Minnesota, USA [3]

Jasper migration to Australia +

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

Jasper Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Alfred Jasper, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Eden" in 1838 [4]
Mr. Henry Jasper, (b. 1843), aged 20, Cornish farm labourer departing on 23rd July 1863 aboard the ship "Theresa" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 28th October 1863 [5]
Mrs. Mary A. Jasper, (b. 1842), aged 21, Cornish settler departing on 23rd July 1863 aboard the ship "Theresa" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 28th October 1863 [5]
Mr. George Jasper, (b. 1874), aged 25, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Duke of Buckingham" arriving in Queensland, Australia on 16th August 1899 [6]

Contemporary Notables of the name Jasper (post 1700) +

Edward Jasper (1973-2022), American professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (1997-2005)
Joshua Norwood Jasper (b. 1987), American football placekicker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2011) and Toronto Argonauts (2012)
Chris Jasper (b. 1951), American former member of the Isley Brothers, singer and composer
William Jasper (1750-1779), born Johann Wilhelm Gasper, German-born, American revolutionary soldier, he died from wounds at the Siege of Savannah, never releasing the standard he held; a monument to him was erected in Savannah, Georgia
Seldon Jasper, American politician, Member of North Carolina House of Commons from Hyde County, 1798 [7]
Norbert J. Jasper, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Missouri State House of Representatives from Franklin County; Elected 1964 [7]
Marvin H. Jasper, American Republican politician, Candidate for New York State Senate 15th District, 1958, 1962 [7]
John B. Jasper, American politician, Member of North Carolina State Senate from Hyde County, 1809-10; Member of North Carolina House of Commons from Hyde County, 1827-28, 1833 [7]
James Jasper, American politician, Member of North Carolina House of Commons from Hyde County, 1790-92; Member of North Carolina State Senate from Hyde County, 1793-95 [7]
Fred A. Jasper, American politician, Mayor of Quincy, Illinois, 1925 [7]
... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) EDEN 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838Eden.htm
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_victoria.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_queensland.pdf
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html