Lips History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Israel

Nestled between the Rhine and Wesser rivers is the ancient German region of Westphalia. Westphalia, the home of the name Lips. In the German provinces, hereditary surnames were adopted after the 12th century, and names that were derived from localities became increasingly widespread. Local surnames originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. When coupled with the German preposition von, which means from or of, local names can indicate that the initial bearer of the name was an aristocrat. However, in modern times, the preposition is frequently dropped from surnames of this type. The Lips family originally lived in the province of Westphalia. The name is of several possible origins. Firstly, it is a short form of the personal name Philipp; for example, Count Philipp von Hessen was popularly known as "Lips." Alternatively, the name is derived from "Lippe," the name of a place in Westphalia; in this instance, the progenitor of the name would likely have been a native of Lippe who had settled in another city.

Early Origins of the Lips family

The surname Lips was first found in Westphalia, where the name was closely identified in early mediaeval times with the feudal society which would become prominent throughout European history. Lippe was one of the smallest states in Germany until 1945, and is now part of Lower-Saxony. Lippe is also a river running through Westphalia and entering the Rhine just north of the Ruhr region. Chronicles speak of Arnold Lipper or von der Lippe in 1222. The name would later emerge as a noble family with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and become noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs.

Early History of the Lips family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lips research. Another 152 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1129, 1232, 1547, 1550, 1606, 1800 and 1806 are included under the topic Early Lips History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lips 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 Lips include Lipp, Lippe, Lips, Lipps, Lipsius, Lippl, Lipple, Lippel, Lipgens, Lipgin, Lippman, Lipmann, Lipman, Lippmeier, Lipper and many more.

Early Notables of the Lips family

Notables of the period with the name Lips were

Justus Lipsius (Joest Lips or Joost Lips, 1547-1606) was a Flemish philologist, philosopher and humanist

Lips migration to the United States +

Many Germans emigrated across the Atlantic to seek better lives in North America. This great migration began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century. Resettlement was particularly attractive to those from Westphalia as a means of escape from poverty and religious persecution. For many Westphalian farmers, the chance to own one's own land was also a major incentive. The process of 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 settlements centered around Ontario and the Prairie provinces. Among them:

Lips Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Henrich Lips, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 1
Barbara Lips, who landed in Carolina in 1735 1
Caspar Lips, who landed in Carolina in 1738 1
Joahannes Lips, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1750 1
Johann Friedrich Lips, who arrived in America in 1751 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lips Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Georg Lips, who landed in America in 1832 1
Mrs. Georg Lips, who arrived in America in 1853 1
Christian Lips, who arrived in America in 1853 1
Ludw Lips, who arrived in America in 1854 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Lips (post 1700) +

Virgil Lips, American politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives 20th District, 1957-58 2

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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html