The surname Hepher was first found in Kent at Hever, a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District. The village dates back to the Saxon Chronicle where it was listed as Heanfre in 814. Literally the place name means "high edge." Nearby, Hever Castle was originally a country house built in the 13th century. Anne Boleyn, the second queen consort of King Henry VIII of England, spent her early youth there. The castle survived over the years and is now a tourist attraction. One of the first listing of the family was found in Sussex in the 13th century.
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Early History of the Hepher family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hepher research. Another 134 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1194, 1455, 1487, 1510, 1562 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Hepher History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Hepher Spelling Variations
The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Hepher has been spelled many different ways, including Hever, Heaver, Hefer, Heafer, Hepher, Ever, Eever and many more.
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Early Notables of the Hepher family
More information is included under the topic Early Hepher Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Hepher family
Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Hephers to arrive in North America: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..
Contemporary Notables of the name Hepher (post 1700)
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Ali Hepher (b. 1974), English rugby union player and coach
John Hepher (1850-1932), English-born, Australian politician who emigrated to New South Wales around 1882, appointed to the New South Wales Legislative Council (1899-1932)
David Hepher (b. 1935), British artist, best known for his paintings of buildings and landscapes
England
