Show ContentsKip History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Kip is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in the village of Kippax, a parish, in the Lower division of the wapentake of Skyrack in the West Riding of Yorkshire. "This parish, in the Domesday Survey Chepesch, is situated near the river Aire, and comprises by computation 4000 acres: the soil is a light mould, resting on limestone, and the scenery is picturesque." [1]

Early Origins of the Kip family

The surname Kip was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Kippax, a large and important Norman village. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, [2] indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, Kippax, at the taking of the Domesday Book was held by Ilbert de Lacy, a Norman Baron, who was at the Battle of Hastings. and who was granted 150 lordships in Yorkshire in addition to the whole district known then as Blackburnshire in now Lancashire. His holdings included Pontefract Castle in Yorkshire. Conjecturally, the Kippax family surname descends from a relation of this Baron who held Kippax at that time.

Early rolls gave a glimpse of the many spellings used by the family at that time. The Pipe Rolls of 1190 included an entry for Alan de Kipais and later the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire included Richard de Kippax in 1347. Back in Yorkshire, John Kypas was listed there in 1441. [3]

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1370 listed Adam Kypas; Johannes de Kypax; Johanna Kepas; and Johannes de Kepax as all holding lands there at that time. [4]

Early History of the Kip family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kip research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1352, 1356, 1364, 1367, 1370, 1372, 1373, 1375, 1379, 1382, 1404, 1653 and 1722 are included under the topic Early Kip History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kip Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Kip are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Kip include: Kippax, Keepax, Kipax, Kepax, Kipas, Kypas, Kyppax, Kypax, Kipacks, Kepax, Kippacks, Cuppage, Cupage, Kippage, Kippash, Cuppash, Coppash, Cupacks and many more.

Early Notables of the Kip family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Johannes Kip (1653-1722) was an English draughtsman born in Amsterdam


United States Kip migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Kip or a variant listed above:

Kip Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Hendrick Kip, who landed in New Netherland(s) in 1609-1664 [5]
  • Henry De Kip, who landed in New York, NY in 1635 [5]
  • Isack Kip, aged 30, who arrived in New York in 1657 [5]
Kip Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Christian Kip, who arrived in New York in 1815 [5]

Contemporary Notables of the name Kip (post 1700) +

  • Barry Kip Averitt (b. 1954), American politician, former Republican member of the Texas Senate (2002-2010)
  • Kip Gamblin (b. 1975), Australian Logie Award winning ballet dancer and actor, known for Home and Away (1988), Moulin Rouge! (2001) and Casualty (1986)
  • Kip Chapelle, American co-fouder of Rubin & Chapelle, a New York-based fashion company founded in 1997
  • Kip Tokuda, American Democratic Party politician, Social worker; Member of Washington State House of Representatives 37th District, 2001 [6]
  • Kip Tindell, American Chairman and CEO of The Container Store Group, Inc., a specialty retail chain company based in Dallas, Texas
  • Kip Stephen Thorne (b. 1940), American theoretical physicist
  • Kip Harkrider, American baseball player
  • Kip Krueger, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from California 50th District, 1994 [7]


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. 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)
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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