Apperson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The saga of the Apperson family begins among the people of the ancient tribe of the Picts. They lived in Fife from a place named Abercrombie (earlier Abarcrumbach), which is of Pictish origin, meaning "a place on the bendy river" or "crooked marsh." 1

Formerly known as St. Monan's, "this place, which appears to have been a distinct parish since the middle of the 12th century, is in ancient documents invariably called Abercrombie, or Abercrumbin." 2

Early Origins of the Apperson family

The surname Apperson was first found in the county of Fifeshire (Gaelic: Fìobh), in southeastern Scotland; an ancient Pictish kingdom, known as Fib, and still commonly known as the Kingdom of Fife. Arguably, the first mention of the Clan was in the Ulster Chronicle as one of the clans that King Malcolm Ceanmore took north to quell the claims of MacBeth for the throne of Scotland in 1057. Today, Abercrombie, or St. Monan's, is a parish, in the district of St. Andrew's.

One of the first records of the family was "William de Abercromby of the county of Fife did homage [to King Edward I of England] in 1296. His seal bears a boar's head and neck on a wreath, star in base and crescent above, and S' Will's de Ab'crumbi." 3

Also recorded as "William de Haberchrumbi, he was juror on an inquest in the same year which found that Emma la Suchis died seized in demesne in Fife. Johan de Abercromby of the same county also rendered homage in the same year, and in 1305 served on an inquest made at the town of St. John of Perth." 3

Early History of the Apperson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Apperson research. Another 168 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1456, 1534, 1561, 1603, 1613, 1656, 1684, 1702, 1716, 1734, 1756, 1774, 1780, 1793, 1800, 1801 and 1895 are included under the topic Early Apperson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Apperson Spelling Variations

Although Medieval Scotland lacked a basic set of spelling rules, which meant that scribes recorded names according to their sounds it was not uncommon for the names of a father and son to be recorded differently. As a result, there are many spelling variations of Scottish single names. Apperson has been written Abercrumby, Abircrumby, Abbircummy, Abbircromby, Abircombie, Abircromy, Abircrommbie, Abircromby, Abircrumme, Abircrumbye, Abercrombie, Abercromby, Abyrcrumby, Abyrcrumbie, Abbercrumbie, Abbercrommie, Ebercrombie and many more.

Early Notables of the Apperson family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was John Abercromby (d. 1561), Scottish monk of the Order of St. Benedict, a staunch opponent of the doctrines of the Reformation, and on that account was condemned to death and executed about the year 1561. 4 Robert Abercromby (1534-1613), a Scotch Jesuit, who, after entering the order, spent twenty-three years in assisting Catholics abroad, and nineteen years on the Scotch mission, where he suffered imprisonment. 4Sir Alexander Abercromby of Birkenbog, 1st Baronet (c.1603-1684), was a Scottish politician; David Abercromby (died c. 1702), was a Scottish physician and writer.Patrick Abercomby (1656-1716?), was a Scottish...
Another 142 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Apperson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Apperson Ranking

In the United States, the name Apperson is the 12,910^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Apperson migration to the United States +

Thousands of Scots left their home country to travel to Ireland or Australia, or to cross the Atlantic for the North American colonies. The difficult crossing was an enormous hurdle, but those who survived found freedom and opportunity in ample measure. Some Scots even fought for their freedom in the American War of Independence. This century, their ancestors have become aware of the illustrious history of the Scots in North America and at home through Clan societies and other organizations. Passenger and immigration lists show many early and influential immigrants bearing the name Apperson:

Apperson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Miss Apperson, aged 29, who settled in America from London, in 1892
Amy D. Apperson, aged 29, who immigrated to the United States, in 1894

Apperson Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mrs. Apperson, who landed in America, in 1905
Richard D. Apperson, who settled in America, in 1905
Louisa Apperson, aged 26, who landed in America, in 1909
Harriet E. Apperson, aged 41, who landed in America, in 1910
Harriett E. Apperson, aged 40, who immigrated to the United States, in 1911
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Apperson (post 1700) +

Harvey Black Apperson (1890-1948), American lawyer and politician, 25th Attorney General of Virginia (1947-1948)
John Samuel "Appie" Apperson Jr (1878-1963), General Electric engineer, best known for his role in the protection of the Adirondack Forest Preserve
Edgar Apperson (1870-1959), who with his brother Elmer founded Apperson automobiles (1902 to 1926)
George Latimer Apperson (1857-1937), British school inspector and man of letters, editor of The Antiquary (1899-1915) and a major contributor to the Oxford English Dictionary

The Apperson 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: Tace
Motto Translation: Keep Silence.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/