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Topp History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Topp History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Topp is an ancient Anglo-Saxon surname that came from the Old Norse name Toppr. 1 Many Scandinavian personal names were left in the British Isles as a legacy of the Viking raids which plagued the coastal regions of Britain from the 8th to 10th centuries, and many of these eventually became Anglo-Saxon surnames.

Alternatively, some researchers believe the name to denote "An elevated spot known in some dialects as a top, and is used antithetically to bottom. Residence on such a spot would originate the surname." 2 3 4

Early Origins of the Topp family

The surname Topp was first found in Gloucestershire where Robert Toppe was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1196. A few years later, in Lincolnshire, Herueius filius Toppe was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of 1200 and Roger Top was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1208 in Norfolk. 1

It was the branch in Wiltshire that later rose to prominence and hold that position for centuries. "The Dorset family of Topp probably belong to the ancient Wiltshire family of Topp, now extinct, that held the manor of Stockton in Wiltshire from before the Reformation until the close of last century, when it passed by marriage into the possession of Robert Balch, Esq., of St. Audries, Somerset." 5 Interestingly, the Register of the University of Oxford included Henry Topp, Dorset, 1600-1607 and John Toppe, Wiltshire, 1612. Parish records in Stourton, Wiltshire include two baptismal records: John Tooppe, 1580 and David, son of Robert Toope, 1639. 3

In Somerset, we found Robert Top and William Toppe, 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 6

Moving north to Scotland, we found "Edward Top admitted burgess of Aberdeen, 1486 is doubtless the Edward Top who was fined in 1497 for 'failzeit in the waching of the tone'. " 7

Early History of the Topp family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Topp research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1669, 1844, 1850, 1858, 1902 and 1916 are included under the topic Early Topp History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Topp Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Topp has been recorded under many different variations, including Topp, Top, Toppe and others.

Early Notables of the Topp family

Notables of the family at this time include

Arthur Maning Topp (1844-1916), an Australian journalist who helped to establish the Melbourne Review...
Born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, he was the eldest son of the late Samuel Topp, who emigrated to Australia in 1858...
He was the elder brother of Samuel St John Topp (1850-1902), the Australian barrister who became a leading member of the Victorian legal profession...

Topp Ranking

In the United States, the name Topp is the 12,935^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 8

Topp migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Topp or a variant listed above:

Topp Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Edward Topp, who arrived in Maryland in 1697-1698 9

Topp Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Gerh Jos Topp, who landed in America in 1844 9
Johann Topp, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 9
W Topp, who arrived in America in 1850 9
Mary Topp, who landed in Minnesota in 1877 9

Topp migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Topp Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. John Topp U.E. who settled in Malden [Amherstburg], Essex County, Ontario c. 1786 he served in Butlers Rangers 10

Topp migration to Australia +

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

Topp Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Topp, English convict who was convicted in Wiltshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 2nd February 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11

Topp migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Topp Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Mary Topp, (b. 1808), aged 49, British servant travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Glentanner" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 3rd October 1857 12
Mr. Topp, British surgeon travelling from London aboard the ship "Harkaway" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 2nd June 1857 12
Louisa M. Topp, aged 23, a servant, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Edwin Fox" in 1878

Contemporary Notables of the name Topp (post 1700) +

David Topp (b. 1992), American actor from Asheville, North Carolina, known for The Shunning (2011), One Tree Hill (2003) and Our Father (2014)
Kayla Topp, American actress from Seattle, Washington, known for Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2003), Marshmello: Paralyzed (2019) and Sorry for Your Birthday (2022)
Eugene Robert Topp (b. 1932), former American football player
Will Topp, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Iowa, 1952 13
John Topp, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Texas, 1988 13
E. B. Topp, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Mississippi, 1908 13
Mrs. Art Topp, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Iowa, 1952 13
Lawrence Robert "Laurie" Topp (1923-2017), English footballer at the 1952 and 1956 Summer Olympics
Brian Topp (b. 1960), Canadian political strategist, union leader, and writer
Rear Admiral Erich Topp (1914-2005), German U-Boot Experten commander of World War II, recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html