Show ContentsPhilipsen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the Philipsen family arrived in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Philipsen came from the ancient given name Phillip. Phillip derives from the Greek name Phillipos, which derives from the words philein, meaning to love, and hippos, meaning horse.

Early Origins of the Philipsen family

The surname Philipsen was first found in Berwickshire. However some of the family were also found in the parish of Windermere in Westmorland. "The church [of Windermere], situated at Bowness, is a simple and venerable edifice, of which the east window of stained glass is said to have been brought from Furness Abbey: there are several curious memorials of the Philipson family, once the owners of Rayrigg, Calgarth, and the Island; and among the monuments of modern date." 1

Early History of the Philipsen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Philipsen research. Another 168 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1305 and 1450 are included under the topic Early Philipsen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Philipsen Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Phillipson, Phillippson, Philippson, Philipson and others.

Early Notables of the Philipsen family

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


United States Philipsen migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Philipsen or a variant listed above:

Philipsen Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Elizabeth Philipsen, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1798 2
Philipsen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Anders Philipsen, aged 19, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1848 2
  • Martinus Philipsen, aged 25, who landed in New York in 1849 2


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  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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