Contents [hide]

Epps History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Epps History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The Epps family name first began to be used in the German state of Bavaria. After the 12th century, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules, and names that were derived from locations became particularly common. The family name Epps is a local surname. Originally denoting the proprietorship of an estate or influence within a village, the German preposition von, which means from or of, used with local names, was taken as a mark of aristocracy. The surname Epps was given to someone who lived in Bavaria, where they became known from the early Middle Ages as an important family within the social and cultural life of the community.

Early Origins of the Epps family

The surname Epps was first found in Bavaria, where the family held a family seat in the Middle Ages. Individual bearers of the name first mentioned in ancient chronicles include Eberhart and Friedericus of Ebs in Bavaria in 1190, Albertus (Appelinus) dictus Eppelin in Heilbronn in 1283, Rudel Eppfeler in Glatz in 1367, Nicholous Eppler in Iglau in 1390.

Early History of the Epps family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Epps research. Another 319 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1290, 1295, 1434, 1515, 1586, 1598, 1717 and 1814 are included under the topic Early Epps History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Epps Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Epps include Epple, Eppler, Epler, Eppel, Eppell, Eppli, Epp, Eppo, Eppe, Eppard, Eppele, Eppelin, Eppeler, Eppfeler, Eppelen, Epplen, Eppan, Eppaner, Epplan, Eplan, Epling, Eppling, Eps, Epps, Ebs, Ebbs, Eppes, Epes, Eppley and many more.

Early Notables of the Epps family

Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Epps Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Epps Ranking

In the United States, the name Epps is the 1,534^th most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 1

Epps migration to the United States +

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from Bavaria who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. For many Bavarian tenant farmers, the chance to own their own land was a major incentive. So 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 settlement centered in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were:

Epps Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mrs. Epps, who landed in Virginia in 1623 2
Peter Epps, who landed in Virginia in 1623 2
William Epps, who landed in Virginia in 1623 2
Elizabeth Epps, aged 13, British settler who landed in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Abigail" 2

Epps Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Margarethe Epps, aged 17, who arrived in New York, NY in 1876 2
Peter Epps, who landed in New York with his wife and five children in 1876

Epps migration to Australia +

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

Epps Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Moses Epps, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Buckinghamshire" in 1839 3
Miss Mary Ann Epps, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Emma Eugenia" on 16th November 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4

Epps 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:

Epps Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Thomas Epps, aged 32, a gardener, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "London" in 1842
Mary Epps, aged 32, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "London" in 1842
Eliza Epps, aged 7, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "London" in 1842
George Epps, aged 5, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "London" in 1842
Martha Ann Epps, aged 3, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "London" in 1842
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Epps (post 1700) +

JoAnne A. Epps (1951-2023), American law professor, legal author, and acting president of Temple University. She formerly served as the executive vice president and provost of the university
Shareeka Epps (b. 1989), award-winning American actress 5
Sheldon Epps (b. 1952), American television and theatre director 6
Omar Hashim Epps (b. 1973), American actor, singer, songwriter, and record producer 7
Garrett Epps (b. 1950), American legal scholar, novelist, and journalist 8
Jeanette J. Epps (b. 1970), American CIA intelligence officer, and NASA astronaut candidate 9
Michael Eugene "Mike" Epps (b. 1970), American actor, producer, writer, stand-up comedian, and singer 10
Ralph Dickson Epps, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from South Carolina, 1928; Member of South Carolina State Senate from Sumter County, 1935-38
David C. Epps, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Oregon, 1940, 1952; Oregon Democratic State Chair, 1958
Cindy H. Epps, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from South Carolina, 2008
... (Another 8 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Epps family +

Flight TWA 800

Miss. Lois Rose Van Epps (1938-1996), from New York, USA, American English teacher flying aboard flight TWA 800 from J.F.K. Airport, New York to Leonardo da Vinci Airport, Rome when the plane crashed after takeoff ; she died in the crash 11

Citations +

"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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Buckinghamshire.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emma-eugenia
Shareeka Epps. (Retrieved 2011, January 18) Shareeka Epps. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shareeka_Epps
Sheldon Epps. (Retrieved 2011, January 18) Sheldon Epps. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheldon_Epps
Omar Epps. (Retrieved 2011, January 18) Omar Epps. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_Epps
Garrett Epps. (Retrieved 2011, January 18) Garrett Epps. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garrett_Epps
NASA Astronauts Homepage. (Retrieved 2011, January 18) Jeanette Epps. Retrieved from http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/epps-jj.html
Michael Epps. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Michael Epps. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Epps
The Washington Post Passenger List TWA Flight 800. (Retrieved 2018, February 15th). Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/twa800/list01.htm