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![Show Contents]() Gepson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The Gepson surname is a patronymic name that comes from the personal names Geoffrey and Godfrey. These names appear in Old English as Geffrey and in Old French as Jefroi or Jeufroi. The surname Gepson makes use of the patronymic suffix -son, which had superseded all other such suffixes in popularity by the 14th century, and was most common in the north of Britain. This suffix was sometimes abbreviated to -s. Early Origins of the Gepson familyThe surname Gepson was first found in Staffordshire where Robert Geffreysone was listed in the Assize Rolls for 1344. In Yorkshire, we found Alice Geffrason there in 1488 and John Jeffrason was listed as a Freeman of York in 1528. 1 Early History of the Gepson familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gepson research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1691, 1720, 1797 and 1821 are included under the topic Early Gepson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Gepson Spelling VariationsThere are relatively few surnames native to Wales, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. Early variations of Welsh surnames can be explained by the fact that very few people in the early Middle Ages were literate. Priests and the few other literate people were responsible for recording names in official documents. And because most people could not specific how to properly record their names it was up to the individual recorder of that time to determine how a spoken name should be recorded. Variations due to the imprecise or improper recording of a name continued later in history when names originally composed in the Brythonic Celtic, language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, were transliterated into English. Welsh names that were documented in English often changed dramatically since the native language of Wales, which was highly inflected, did not copy well. Occasionally, however, spelling variations were carried out according to an individual's specific design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by minor variations. The spelling variations of the name Gepson have included Jeffers, Jefferson, Jeffson, Jephson and others. Early Notables of the Gepson familyMore information is included under the topic Early Gepson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Gepson family to IrelandSome of the Gepson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 53 words (4 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 Gepson familyNorth America in the 1800s and 1900s saw the arrival of many Welsh people hoping to share in the wealth of land, work, and freedom that they felt North America held. Those who made the journey often attained those expectations, but only through an enormous amount of hard work, perseverance, and often a bout of good luck. These immigrants helped contribute to the growth of industry, commerce, and culture of both Canada and the United States. Discovered in the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Gepson: John Jefferson settled in Virginia in 1620; Mary Jefferson settled in Virginia in 1653; Edmund Jefferson settled in Pennsylvania in 1682; Robert Jefferson settled in Nova Scotia in 1774.
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: A cruce salus
Motto Translation: Salvation from the cross.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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