Show ContentsColpepper History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Colpepper is from the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name was given to a person who was a spicer. The name is derived from two Old English elements, cul and pepper. It meant "pepper gatherer." 1 As spices were rare and expensive in the medieval period, this would have been a valued occupation.

Early Origins of the Colpepper family

The surname Colpepper was first found in Kent where the family descend from Culpepers of Bay Hall, Pembury, Kent. It is generally thought that the first record of the family was John de Colepepper (c. 1140) from Bay Hall, Pepenbury. His son, Sir Thomas de Colpepper (1170-c.1200) was Recognitor of the Grand Assize in Sussex. He died in Sussex at the age of 30. Bay Hall Manor was held by the family until 1480 when it was sold Humphrey Stafford, Duke of Buckingham.

In West Peckham, Kent, a Commandery of Knights Hospitallers was founded in 1408, by John Colepepper, one of the judges of the Common Pleas. 2

Early History of the Colpepper family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Colpepper research. Another 161 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1290, 1321, 1588, 1600, 1601, 1616, 1632, 1635, 1644, 1651, 1654, 1656, 1660, 1663, 1668, 1670, 1677, 1683, 1689, 1700, 1723, 1725 and 1740 are included under the topic Early Colpepper History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Colpepper Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Colpepper family name include Colepeper, Colpepper, Culpeper, Culpepper, Colepepper, Colpeper, Collpeper and many more.

Early Notables of the Colpepper family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir Geoffrey Colepeper High Sheriff of Kent; Sir William Culpeper, (1588-1651) 1st Baronet of Culpeper of Preston Hall, Kent; Sir Richard Culpeper, 2nd Baronet of Preston Hall (d 1660); Sir Cheney Culpeper (1601-1663), an English landowner; John Colepeper of Bedgebery (ca.1600-1660), 1st Baron Culpeper of Thoresway, an English politician; Nicholas Culpeper (1616-1654), an English botanist, herbalist...
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Colpepper Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Colpepper family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Investigation of the origins of family names on the North American continent has revealed that early immigrants bearing the name Colpepper or a variant listed above: Henry Culpeper who settled in Virginia in 1663; Jonathan Culpeper settled in Virginia in 1646; William Culpepper settled in New England in 1634; Margaret Culpepper settled in Virginia in 1751..



  1. Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.


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