Culpeper History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Culpeper is a name that was formed by the Anglo-Saxon society of old Britain. The name was thought to have been used for someone who once worked as 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 Culpeper family

The surname Culpeper 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 Culpeper family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Culpeper 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 Culpeper History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Culpeper Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Culpeper include Colepeper, Colpepper, Culpeper, Culpepper, Colepepper, Colpeper, Collpeper and many more.

Early Notables of the Culpeper family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

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, physician, and astrologer
Thomas Colpeper, 2nd Baron Culpeper of Thoresway (1635-1689), Colonial Governor of Virginia from 1677 to 1683
Sir Thomas Culpeper, 3rd Baronet of Preston Hall (1656-1723)
Sir William Culpeper, 1st Baronet of Wakehurst (d 1651)
Sir Benjamin Culpeper, 2nd Baronet of Wakehurst (d 1670)
Sir Edward Culpeper, 3rd Baronet of Wakehurst (1632-1700)

Culpeper migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Culpeper were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Culpeper Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Jonathan Culpeper, who settled in Virginia in 1646
John Culpeper, who landed in Virginia in 1646 3
Hen Culpeper, who arrived in Virginia in 1653 3
Henry Culpeper who settled in Virginia in 1663
Alexander Culpeper, who arrived in Virginia in 1672 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Culpeper (post 1700) +

Cynthia Ann "Cyndie" Culpeper (1962-2005), American rabbi, the first pulpit rabbi to announce being diagnosed with AIDS

Citations +

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