Philipps History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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Wales

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The ancestors of the bearers of the name Philipps were the ancient Britons that inhabited in the hills and Moors of Wales. This surname was derived from the personal name Philip. This name, which was usually Latinized as Philippus, was originally derived from the Greek name Philippos. This Greek name was composed of the words "philein," which means "to love," and "hippos," which means "horse." The personal name Philip owed its popularity to the medieval romances about Alexander the Great, whose father was Philip of Macedon.

Philip of Poiters (died 1208?) was Bishop of Durham and a favourite clerk of Richard I. He accompanied the latter on his crusade of 1189, and was present at his marriage with Berengaria of Navarre at Cyprus in 1191. 1

Early Origins of the Philipps family

The surname Philipps was first found in Kent, where legend has it that the family (but not the surname) is descended from Maximus, the Briton, Roman Emperor from 383 until his death in 388, and the King of Britain, when he married the daughter of Octavius, King of the Britons. Later the family was forced back into Wales by the invading Saxons, where they traditionally claim descent from Tudwal (c.AD 528-564) "of the wounded knee," a descendant of Rhodri Mawr, first King of Wales.

Early History of the Philipps family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Philipps research. Another 160 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1279, 1500, 1533, 1543, 1560, 1566, 1568, 1570, 1586, 1587, 1588, 1594, 1599, 1604, 1613, 1614, 1620, 1629, 1630, 1631, 1638, 1640, 1644, 1653, 1662, 1674, 1675, 1676, 1680, 1696, 1699, 1701, 1706, 1709, 1720, 1721, 1724, 1749 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Philipps History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Philipps Spelling Variations

Compared to other ancient cultures found in the British Isles, the number of Welsh surnames are relatively few, but there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations. These spelling variations began almost as soon as surname usage became common. People could not specify how to spell their own names leaving the specific recording up to the individual scribe or priest. Those recorders would then spell the names as they heard them, causing many different variations. Later, many Welsh names were recorded in English. This transliteration process was extremely imprecise since the Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh used many sounds the English language was not accustomed to. Finally, some variations occurred by the individual's design: a branch loyalty within a family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were indicated by spelling variations of one's name. The Philipps name over the years has been spelled Phillips, Philips, Phillip, Philip, Pilip, Pillips, Fillip, Filip, Filips, Phillipes, Philipes, Phillup, Philups, Fillups, Filups, Pilups, Pillups, Fulop and many more.

Early Notables of the Philipps family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was

Morgan Philipps or Philippes (died 1570) was a Welsh Catholic divine, a native of Monmouthshire, who entered the university of Oxford in or about 1533
James Philipps (1594-1674), was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1653 and 1662; Edward Phillips (1630- c.1696) and his brother John Phillips (1631-1706) both wrote important...

Philipps Ranking

In France, the name Philipps is the 7,352^nd most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Philipps family to Ireland

Some of the Philipps family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 109 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Philipps migration to the United States +

The Welsh began to emigrate to North America in the late 1800s and early 1900s in search of land, work, and freedom. Those that arrived helped shape the industry, commerce, and the cultural heritage of both Canada and the United States. The records regarding immigration and passenger show a number of people bearing the name Philipps:

Philipps Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Geo Philipps, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1683 3
Mary Philipps, who arrived in Virginia in 1699 3

Philipps Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Adolph Philipps, who landed in New York in 1711 3
Heinrich Philipps, who arrived in America in 1783 3
Joh Heinr Philipps, who arrived in America in 1783 3

Philipps Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Gertrude Philipps, aged 44, who landed in Brazil in 1846 3
Kath Philipps, who landed in America in 1849 3

Philipps migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Philipps Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. William Philipps U.E. who settled in Osnabruck [South Stormont], Stormont County, Ontario c. 1786 he enlisted in 1778 4

Philipps migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 5

Philipps Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Mr. William Philipps, (b. 1618), aged 17, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Alexander" arriving in Barbados in 1635 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Philipps (post 1700) +

Thomas Philipps (1774-1841), Welsh vocalist, actor and composer, descended from a Monmouthshire family, born in London
Jenkin Thomas Philipps (d. 1755), Welsh translator who studied at the University of Basle
Sir Erasmus Philipps (d. 1743), Welsh economic writer, the eldest son of Sir John Philipps, of Picton Castle, Pembrokeshire
Major-General Sir Ivor Philipps KCB, DSO (1861-1940), English officer in the British Indian Army
Baker Philipps (1718-1745), British lieutenant in the Royal Navy
John Philipps Emslie (1839-1913), British topographical artist and folklorist, original member of The Folklore Society

Historic Events for the Philipps family +

The Philipps Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Ducit amor patriae
Motto Translation: Patriotism leads me.