Show ContentsPeiper History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Medieval Austria is the noble birthplace of the family name Peiper. Austria, which was originally home to a Celtic people, was conquered by the Roman Empire in about 15 BC. Following the fall of Rome, Austria was repeatedly invaded by barbarian tribes, such as the Vandals, Visigoths, and Huns, who swept in from the east. During the 5th and 6th centuries, the Alemanni, Avars and Slavs settled Austria. The Avars were defeated in 785 by the Frankish emperor Charlemagne, who set up the East Mark, which later became known as the Österreich. Austria was ruled by the Babenburger dynasty until 1278, when they were succeeded by the Hapsburg dynasty, which ruled Austria until the 20th century.

Early Origins of the Peiper family

The surname Peiper was first found in Austria, where the name could be considered to make a great early contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early development of Europe. The name became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the national conflicts, each group seeking power and status in an ever changing territorial profile. Chronicles first mention Nickel Pfyfer of Liegnitz in 1372, and Hailman der Pfiffer in 1371.

Early History of the Peiper family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Peiper research. Another 164 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1566, 1590, 1713, 1721, 1797 and 1858 are included under the topic Early Peiper History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Peiper 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 Peiper include Pfeiffer, Pfeifer, Pfeyffer, Pfeyfer and many more.

Early Notables of the Peiper family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Peiper were Johann Babtist Pfeiffer (around 1721), who was administrator for the mines and forges of Achrain, and was knighted in 1721. Ida Laura Pfeiffer (1797-1858) was...
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Peiper Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Peiper migration to the United States +

Austria was made a republic after the First World War. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up by the Treaty of Versailles and many of its people found themselves in the new nation of Czechoslovakia. Many other Austrians and expatriate Austrians made their way to North America in the 20th century. Most landed in Philadelphia, later continuing on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Some Austrian settlers also went to western Canada and Ontario. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Peiper or a variant listed above:

Peiper Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • E. Peiper, aged 38, who immigrated to the United States, in 1894
  • Robert Peiper, aged 37, who landed in America, in 1895
  • Anna Peiper, aged 1, who landed in America, in 1896
  • Israel Peiper, aged 17, who landed in America, in 1896
  • J.H. Peiper, aged 38, who immigrated to America, in 1896
Peiper Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Leon Peiper, aged 26, who landed in America, in 1908
  • Frederick C. Peiper, who settled in America, in 1911
  • Hendriekus C. Peiper, aged 27, who immigrated to the United States, in 1917
  • Max Peiper, aged 40, who immigrated to the United States, in 1924

Contemporary Notables of the name Peiper (post 1700) +

  • Fred Peiper, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Louisiana, 1948 1
  • Tadeusz Peiper (1891-1969), Polish poet, art critic and theoretician of literature
  • Allan Peiper (b. 1960), retired Australian road cyclist


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


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