Show ContentsDrayper History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The history of the name Drayper dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from a member of the family who worked as a maker or seller of woolen cloth. The surname Drayper is derived from the Old French word drapier and the Anglo-French word draper, which both have this meaning. The word was recorded in Old English as early as 1376.

Early Origins of the Drayper family

The surname Drayper was first found in Lancashire where one of the first records of the family was Robert le Draper who was listed in the Pipe Rolls (1181-1182.) 1 Later the Subsidy Rolls, Henry le Draper was listed as holding estates in 1332 in the same county. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 lists Roger le Draper in Wiltshire and Auwred le Draper in Cambridgeshire. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 lists Johannes Drapour as a drapour at that time. 2

Early History of the Drayper family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Drayper research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1567, 1646, 1678, 1689, 1694 and 1772 are included under the topic Early Drayper History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Drayper Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Drayper has undergone many spelling variations, including Draper, Drapere, Draiper, Draeper, Drapar, Drapir, Drayper, Dreypar, Drapper, Drapier, Drabber, Drapber, Drabper, Drappar and many more.

Early Notables of the Drayper family

Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Drayper Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Drayper family to Ireland

Some of the Drayper family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Drayper family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Drayper were among those contributors: Henry Draper settled in Virginia in 1621; the year after the "Mayflower" landed, and many of the name were banished to Barbados where they settled from the year 1654. John Draper was banished in 1654.



The Drayper 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: Vincit pepercit
Motto Translation: He conquered, he spared


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)


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