| ![Show Contents]() Topple History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
England
Etymology of ToppleWhat does the name Topple mean? Topple is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest brought to England in 1066. The Topple family lived in Yorkshire. The name is derived from a combination of the Old English personal name Topp, and the word leah, meaning wood or clearing, and indicates that the original bearer lived near a wood or clearing owned by someone named Topp. Early Origins of the Topple familyThe surname Topple was first found in Yorkshire where they are conjecturally descended from a junior branch of the Percys. Topcliff (Topclive) in the North Riding of Yorkshire was granted to a Norman Baron named William Percy who later became the Earl of Northumberland and one of the most senior mighty nobles of the land. At the time of the Conquest, Topcliff consisted of a church and a mill on the side of the banks of the River Swale. 1 The first record of the Tiplady variant was that of Johanna Tippelevedy who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1301. Later John Typlady and Henry Tipelady were both listed in Yorkshire in 1490 and 1494, respectively. 2 And a search of early rolls for the Topcliffe variant revealed Herueus de Toppecliue in the Assize Rolls for Yorkshire in 1219. 2 Early History of the Topple familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Topple research. Another 182 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1391, 1451, 1532, 1593, 1598, 1603, 1604, 1740, 1778, 1832 and 1834 are included under the topic Early Topple History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Topple Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Topple are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Topple include Topley, Topler, Topliffe, Topcliff, Topclive, Toppley, Topleif, Toplief, Toplis and many more. Early Notables of the Topple familyGeorge Topcliff, Member of Parliament for Scarborough (1451); and Augustus Montague Toplady (1740-1778), an Anglican clergyman and hymn-writer.
Richard Topcliffe (1532-1604), was a persecutor of Roman Catholics, born, according to his own account, in 1532, was the eldest son of Robert Topcliffe of Somerby, near Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. "Topcliffe's name appears in the special commission against Jesuits which...
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Topple Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Topple familyFaced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Topple, or a variant listed above: William Topleife who settled in Barbados in 1635; Henry Topley arrived in Philadelphia in 1866; Thomas Topley arrived in Philadelphia in 1867; J. Topliff settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1822.
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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