Shippen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Shippen comes from when its first bearer worked as a person who worked as a mariner or as a ship-builder. 1 2 Occupational names frequently were derived from the principal object associated with the activity of the original bearer, such as tools or products. These types of occupational surnames are called metonymic surnames. The most common suffixes for occupational names are maker, herd, hewer, smith, er, ing, and man.

Early Origins of the Shippen family

The surname Shippen was first found in Rutland, where we find the Latin version of the name Schipemannus in the Pipe Rolls of 1130. Later in Norfolk, Scipmanus was found c. 1250 and in Huntingdonshire, Hubert Scipman was found in 1221. Essex records show Simon le Sipman Schipman in 1267 and 1290. Ironically William Scipman who was found in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1243 "drowned from a boat in the water of the Parret." 3

Richard le Schepman was registered in Hertfordshire in 1296 and later, Adam le Schepman was found in Essex in 1316. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included an entry for William Schippeman, Lincolnshire. In Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 revealed: Willelmus de Seyton, schypmane; Robertus Shypman; Richard Harman, shippeman; and Willelmus Shipman. 1

The famous Shippen family in America originated in Monk Fryston, North Yorkshire. Edward Shippen (1639-1712) was born in Methley, now in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire after his parents moved there in 1626. Edward was appointed to a one-year term by William Penn in 1701 as Mayor of Philadelphia.

Early History of the Shippen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shippen research. Another 56 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1603, 1632, 1635, 1639, 1653, 1658, 1662, 1664, 1665, 1667, 1670, 1673, 1676, 1678, 1680, 1693, 1712 and 1743 are included under the topic Early Shippen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shippen Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Shippen include Shipman, Shippman, Chipman, Shipham and others.

Early Notables of the Shippen family

Distinguished members of the family include

Edward Shippen (1639-1712), was an English-born immigrant to Boston who was whipped for being a Quaker, after which he was invited by William Penn to the new city of Philadelphia where he rose to beco...
William Shipped (1673-1743), was a parliamentary Jacobite, the second son of Dr. William Shippen, and grandson of 'William Shippen, gent.,' of Stockport, Cheshire. Dr. Shippen, the father, born in 163...

Shippen migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Shippen or a variant listed above:

Shippen Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Edward Shippen, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1668 4

Shippen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Eliz Shippen, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1801 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Shippen (post 1700) +

Margaret "Peggy" Shippen (1760-1804), arguably the highest-paid spy in the American Revolution, second wife of General Benedict Arnold
Edward Shippen II (1703-1781), American wealthy merchant and government official in colonial Philadelphia
People Edward Shippen (1639-1712), American politician, second mayor of Philadelphia
Edward Shippen IV (1729-1806), American lawyer, judge, government official, and prominent figure in colonial and post-revolutionary Philadelphia
John Shippen (1879-1968), American golfer
William Shippen (1712-1801), American physician
William Shippen (1712-1801), American politician, Delegate to Continental Congress from Pennsylvania, 1778 5
Edward Shippen (1703-1781), American politician, Mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1744-45. Founder of Shippensburg, Pennsylvania 5
Edward Shippen (1639-1712), American politician, Mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1701-03 5
Bertha Shippen Irving, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Jersey, 1924 6

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html