Show ContentsGalpun History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Galpun

What does the name Galpun mean?

Galpun is an ancient Anglo-Saxon name. It was a name given to a person who was a person who was a fast runner. The surname is derived from the Old Norman word walup and the Old French word galop. The word eventually became wallop which literally means to run. Therefore, the surname Galpun described the physical abilities of the original bearer.

Another source agrees the name was of French origin but was derived from "a flat-bottomed boat used to load and unload ships, the surname being applied to the crew members." 1

And yet another source claims that the name could have been "local-the last syllable being a corruption of Hope-Galhope." 2 This latter simplistic entry essentially means that the 19th century author proposes that the name could have been a local name from "Hope-Galhope," a place that we cannot find today.

Early Origins of the Galpun family

The surname Galpun was first found in Dorset at Strode, where the family has "a tradition of Danish or Swedish descent from a soldier of fortune who was living in 1465." 2

Early History of the Galpun family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Galpun research. Another 60 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1590, 1619, 1625, 1629, 1640, 1650 and 1660 are included under the topic Early Galpun History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Galpun Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Galpun has appeared include Gollop, Gallop, Gallup, Gollup and others.

Early Notables of the Galpun family

Notables of the family at this time include George Gallop or Gollop (1590-1650), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Southampton (1625-1629) and (1640-1650). Son of Thomas Gallop, of Strode, Dorset, he was a wealthy merchant who acquired Southampton Castle in 1619. He built a windmill on the motte of the castle. Only...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Galpun Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Galpun family

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Galpun arrived in North America very early: Anne, Christobel, Humphrey and John Gallop who settled in Nantasket in 1630.



The Galpun 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: Be bolde, be wyse


  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.


Houseofnames.com on Facebook