Show ContentsEsthop History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished and ancient surname Esthop is of two possible origins. Firstly, it is derived from "Easthope," the name of a village located in Shropshire, on the Welsh border. Alternatively, the name is Old English in origin, deriving from the word "esthop," meaning "dweller in the eastern valley." 1

Early Origins of the Esthop family

The surname Esthop was first found in County Suffolk, where William del Estope was living in 1185. In this instance, the name was likely derived from the Old English word "esthop." A later bearer was John de Esthop, who was listed in the Rotuli Hundredorum of Shropshire in 1275. 1 It is likely that in this case, the name was derived from the name of the village of Easthope in Shropshire.

The parish of Easthope in Shropshire dates back to Saxon times as the first record of the parish was in 901 when it was listed with the same spelling as today: Easthope. Ironically, by the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, the parish was known simply as Stope. 2 Literally the place names means "eastern enclosed valley," from the Old English "east" + "hop." 3

Early History of the Esthop family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Esthop research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1603 and 1841 are included under the topic Early Esthop History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Esthop Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Esthop family name include Easthop, Esthop, Estep, Estop, Estap, Estope, Esthope and many more.

Early Notables of the Esthop family

More information is included under the topic Early Esthop Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Esthop migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Esthop surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Esthop Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Mary Esthop, who arrived in Virginia in 1663 4


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  4. 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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