Show ContentsBishopp History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The history of the name Bishopp begins in the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It was a name for a person who portrayed a bishop in a medieval play, a person with an ecclesiastical bearing, or one who had been elected as a boy-bishop for the festival of St. Nicholas' Day. [1] [2]

Early Origins of the Bishopp family

The surname Bishopp was first found in an area "confined south of a line drawn from the Wash to the Dee. It is at present most numerous in the western half of this area, the county of Dorset containing the greatest number." [3]

Biscop was listed in Northumberland in the Domesday Book and later, Bissop was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1195. [2]

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed a wide variety of early spellings found throughout this area: John le Bissup, Oxfordshire; William Bisscop, Norfolk; Henry Biscop, Lincolnshire; Elvena, relicta Peter Bissop, Cambridgeshire; and Alice Bissop, Oxfordshire. [1]

Later, Bissop atte Combe was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327 and the Pipe Rolls listed Lefwinus Bissop in Northumberland in 1166. [2]

Further to the north in Scotland, the first record of the family was in 1291 when "a receipt was granted to William called 'Bissope' on behalf of Sir Dovenald, Earl of Mar." [4]

The Biscoe variant was principally found in Yorkshire where William Birscowe and Robert Biscowe were listed in 1463. [2]

Early History of the Bishopp family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bishopp research. Another 182 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1426, 1551, 1554, 1601, 1610, 1611, 1612, 1613, 1624, 1625, 1627, 1628, 1632, 1634, 1660, 1661, 1665, 1672, 1675, 1676, 1679, 1681, 1682, 1683, 1684, 1687, 1691, 1692, 1737, 1748, 1785, 1786, 1793, 1804, 1806, 1809, 1810, 1811, 1836, 1839, 1845, 1847, 1853, 1854, 1855, 1861 and 1880 are included under the topic Early Bishopp History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bishopp Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Bishopp are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Bishopp include: Bishop, Bisshop, Bisshope, Bishope, Bishoppe, Bischoppe and many more.

Early Notables of the Bishopp family

Notables of the family at this time include

  • Humphrey Bishop (c. 1612-1675), was an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1661; and Henry Bishopp (Bishop, Bisshopp), (1611-1691), was Postmaster General of England...

Ireland Migration of the Bishopp family to Ireland

Some of the Bishopp family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Bishopp migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Bishopp or a variant listed above:

Bishopp Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Jo Bishopp, aged 23, who landed in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Paul" [5]
  • Valentine Bishopp, aged 11, who landed in Virginia in 1635 [5]
  • Oliver Bishopp, who landed in Virginia in 1636 [5]
  • Jon Bishopp, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 [5]
  • Henry Bishopp, who arrived in Maryland in 1640 [5]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The Bishopp 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: Pro Deo et ecclesia
Motto Translation: For God and the Church.


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  4. 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)
  5. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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