Show ContentsLipp History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Nestled between the Rhine and Wesser rivers is the ancient German region of Westphalia. Westphalia, the home of the name Lipp. When hereditary surnames were adopted in this region, after the 12th century, names that were derived from localities were quite common. These "local" surnames originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. When coupled with the German preposition von, which means from or of, local names can indicate that the initial bearer of the name was an aristocrat. However, in modern times, the use of the preposition has often long since been dropped from use. The Lipp family originally lived in the province of Westphalia. The name is of several possible origins. Firstly, it is a short form of the personal name Philipp; for example, Count Philipp von Hessen was popularly known as "Lips." Alternatively, the name is derived from "Lippe," the name of a place in Westphalia; in this instance, the progenitor of the name would likely have been a native of Lippe who had settled in another city.

Early Origins of the Lipp family

The surname Lipp was first found in Westphalia, where the name was closely identified in early mediaeval times with the feudal society which would become prominent throughout European history. Lippe was one of the smallest states in Germany until 1945, and is now part of Lower-Saxony. Lippe is also a river running through Westphalia and entering the Rhine just north of the Ruhr region. Chronicles speak of Arnold Lipper or von der Lippe in 1222. The name would later emerge as a noble family with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and become noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs.

Early History of the Lipp family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lipp research. Another 152 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1129, 1232, 1547, 1550, 1606, 1800 and 1806 are included under the topic Early Lipp History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lipp Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Lipp include Lipp, Lippe, Lips, Lipps, Lipsius, Lippl, Lipple, Lippel, Lipgens, Lipgin, Lippman, Lipmann, Lipman, Lippmeier, Lipper and many more.

Early Notables of the Lipp family

Notables of the period with the name Lipp were

  • Wilhelm Anton von der Lippe (around 1800), of the House of Wintrup, who was the canon of the Cathedral in Muenster as well as the Archidiac of Wenterswick and the Dean of both St. Ludgerum church in M...

Lipp Ranking

In the United States, the name Lipp is the 10,603rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Lipp migration to the United States +

Many Germans emigrated across the Atlantic to seek better lives in North America. This great migration began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century. Resettlement was particularly attractive to those from Westphalia as a means of escape from poverty and religious persecution. For many Westphalian farmers, the chance to own one's own land was also a major incentive. The process of the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlements centered around Ontario and the Prairie provinces. Among them:

Lipp Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Rob Lipp, who landed in Virginia in 1656 2
Lipp Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Georg Lipp and Hans Conrad Lipp, who settled in Philadelphia in 1733
  • Georg Lipp, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1733 2
  • Hans Conrad Lipp, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733 2
  • Johannes Lipp, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1766 2
Lipp Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Jacob Lipp, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1805 2
  • Jacob Lipp to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1805
  • Bernh Lipp, who landed in New York, NY in 1849 2
  • Christian Lipp, aged 26, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 2
  • Lewis Lipp, who settled in Philadelphia in 1858
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Lipp Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Lorentz, Philip, Theresa, and Wilhelm Lipp immigrated to America in 1901

Contemporary Notables of the name Lipp (post 1700) +

  • Deborah Lipp (b. 1969), American author and a Wiccan High Priestess of the Gardnerian Tradition
  • Wilma Lipp (b. 1925), Austrian classical soprano singer


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)


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