Clephan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Clephan

What does the name Clephan mean?

The generations and branches of the Clephan family share a name that has its roots in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. The name Clephan comes from Osgoode Clapa who was a nobleman of Danish or Saxon origin. As a man of noble worth he attended the Court of King Canute. Another possible origin of the surname Clephan may be an extension of the Old English Clop which meant lump. It was often applied as a nickname to someone who was large and ungainly. Essentially the surname Clephan was adopted from Clepan in Sussex which in turn came form Osgoode Clappa. It was adopted in England as a surname only after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

Early Origins of the Clephan family

The surname Clephan was first found in Lauderdale where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Clephan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clephan research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Clephan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clephan Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Clephan include Clephane, Clepane, Clepan, Cleppin and others.

Early Notables of the Clephan family

Richard Clephane, Canon of Aberdeen

Migration of the Clephan family to Ireland

Some of the Clephan 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.

Migration of the Clephan family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Clephan or a variant listed above: James Clephane who settled in Norfolk Virginia in 1817; from whom was descended the distinguished U.S. family of the same name.

The Clephan 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: Ut sim paratior
Motto Translation: That I may be the better prepared.