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| Origins Available: |
| | England |
In ancient Anglo Saxon England, the Imp family lived in the area that was referred to as Impey in the county of Essex. This place-name was originally derived from the Old English word "imphaga" which denoted "an enclosure that housed young trees." In this case the original bearers most likely lived near an area where there were young trees or saplings. 1
The surname Imp was first found in Sussex where John atte Imphage was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327. The same ancient English rolls also listed John de Impey in Suffolk. 1
"This name is or has been numerous in Buckinghamshire, Surrey, and Essex, in which last county stands Impey Hall." 2
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Imp research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Imp History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Imp have been found, including Impey, Impy, Impie and others.
Distinguished members of the family include
Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Imp, or a variant listed above: Thomas Impey, who settled in the state of Maryland in 1740 with his wife, Alice.