Jaspers History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The distinguished surname Jaspers 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 Jaspers 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 Jaspers family

The surname Jaspers 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 Jaspers family

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

Jaspers 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 Jaspers family

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

Jaspers Ranking

In Netherlands, the name Jaspers is the 333^rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,595 people with that name. 1

Jaspers migration to the United States +

A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Jaspers:

Jaspers Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Grietje Jaspers, who arrived in New Netherland(s) in 1663 2

Jaspers Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Edward Jaspers, who settled in Maryland in 1702

Contemporary Notables of the name Jaspers (post 1700) +

William Jaspers, American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from East Haven; Elected 1946 3

Citations +

"Most Common Last Names in Netherlands." Forebears, https://forebears.io/netherlands/surnames
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html