Show ContentsAsper History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Asper family

The surname Asper was first found in Holland, where the name became noted for its many branches in the region, each house acquiring a status and influence which was envied by the princes of the region. The name was first recorded in South Holland, a province of Holland, the most crowded province of the Netherlands. The principal cities are Rotterdam, Leyden and Shiedam. Noted is the famed castle of Teilengen where Jacqueline of Bavaria is buried. In their later history the surname became a power unto themselves and were elevated to the ranks of nobility as they grew into this most influential family.

Early History of the Asper family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Asper research. Another 63 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Asper History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Asper Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Asperen, Asperenn, Asperenns, Asperens, Asperene, Asperenes, Asper, Asperger, Asperren, Aspperen, Aspperens and many more.

Early Notables of the Asper family

From this era of Dutch history, those of this who distinguished themselves included

  • the Asperen family of Holland


United States Asper migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Asper Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Hans Asper, who was on record in Pennsylvania in the 1635-1645 period
Asper Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • John Asper, who Oath of Allegiance was recorded in Pennsylvania in 1738
  • Johannes Asper, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 [1]
  • John Asper, aged 38, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 [1]
  • Peter Asper, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1754

Contemporary Notables of the name Asper (post 1700) +

  • Joel Funk Asper (1822-1872), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Missouri, 1868; U.S. Representative from Missouri 7th District, 1869-71 [2]
  • Leonard Asper (b. 1964), former President and Chief Executive Officer of CanWest Global Communications Corp
  • Israel Harold "Izzy" Asper OC, OM, QC (1932-2003), founder of CanWest Global Communications Corp
  • Gail Asper OC, OM (b. 1960), President of the CanWest Global Foundation and President and Trustee of The Asper Foundation
  • David Asper (b. 1958), former Executive Vice President of the Canadian media company CanWest Global Communications Corp


  1. 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)
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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