Orpuss History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Orpuss arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Orpuss family lived in Malpas, a parish in the union of Wrexham in the county of Cheshire.

Early Origins of the Orpuss family

The surname Orpuss 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 Orpuss family

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

Orpuss Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Malpas, Malpus, Malpass and others.

Early Notables of the Orpuss family

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

Migration of the Orpuss family to Ireland

Some of the Orpuss 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 Orpuss family

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Orpuss or a variant listed above: George Malpas arrived in Philadelphia in 1856.