Malpiss History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Malpiss was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Malpiss family lived in Malpas, a parish in the union of Wrexham in the county of Cheshire.

Early Origins of the Malpiss family

The surname Malpiss was first found in Cheshire at Malpas, a large village and former market town, in the unions of Nantwich, Great Boughton, and Wrexham, chiefly in the Higher division of the hundred of Broxton. The barony formed part of the possessions of Earl Edwin prior to the Conquest, and was given by the first Norman earl of Chester to Robert Fitz-Hugh, one of the eight barons of his parliament. The castle, the head of the barony, was built soon after the Conquest, and stood immediately adjoining the church, but today all that is left is a circular mound, on which the keep stood. The place name literally means "the difficult passage" from the Old French words mal + pas.

Early History of the Malpiss family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Malpiss research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1625 and 1668 are included under the topic Early Malpiss History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Malpiss Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Malpas, Malpus, Malpass and others.

Early Notables of the Malpiss family

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

Migration of the Malpiss family to Ireland

Some of the Malpiss family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Malpiss family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Malpiss or a variant listed above: George Malpas arrived in Philadelphia in 1856.