Whipps History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Atlantic Ocean to the north and west and the English Channel to the south borders Cornwall, the homeland to the Whipps family name. Even though the usage of surnames was common during the Middle Ages, all English people were known only by a single name in early times. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. The Whipps family originally lived in Devon at the parish of Whimple.

Early Origins of the Whipps family

The surname Whipps was first found in East Devon at Whimple, a village and civil parish which dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was listed as Winple 1 and gets its name from a stream that originally ran through the area as in the Celtic name meaning "white pool or stream." 2 The Whimple Wassail is an orchard-visiting wassail ceremony which takes place annually every Old Twelfth Night (January 17th.)

Early History of the Whipps family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Whipps research. Another 60 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1617, 1642, 1662, 1685, 1687, 1743, 1745, 1746 and 1750 are included under the topic Early Whipps History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Whipps Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and 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 of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Whimple, Whirple, Whipple, Wipley, Whippy and many more.

Early Notables of the Whipps family

Notable amongst the family at this time was John Whipple (c. 1617-1685), an early settler of Dorchester in the Massachusetts Bay Colony; and his son, Joseph Whipple (1662-1746), American wealthy merchant in the Colony of Rhode Island...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Whipps Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Whipps migration to Australia +

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

Whipps Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. James Whipps, English convict who was convicted in Essex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Charles Kerr" on 6th June 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Whipps (post 1700) +

Dr. Susan Margaret Whipps B.E.M., British recipient of Medallist of the British Empire Medal 29th December 2018 for voluntary services to People Affected by Parkinson’s Disease 4
Jackson Whipps Showalter (1860-1935), five-time U.S. Chess Champion

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 1st February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/charles-kerr
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists