Heaps History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the Heaps family brought their name to England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Lancashire.

Early Origins of the Heaps family

The surname Heaps was first found in Lancashire where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Heaps family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Heaps research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Heaps History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Heaps Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Heaps were recorded, including Heap, Heaps and others.

Early Notables of the Heaps family

More information is included under the topic Early Heaps Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Heaps Ranking

In the United States, the name Heaps is the 13,499^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Heaps migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Heaps arrived in North America very early:

Heaps Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Heaps, who arrived in New York in 1831 2
David Heaps, aged 19, who landed in New York in 1864 2

Heaps migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Heaps Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Heaps, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 24th March 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1884 3
Cyrus Heaps, aged 20, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Gilmore"

Heaps migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Heaps Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Edward John Heaps, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ernestina" in 1865
Mr. James P. Heaps, (b. 1862), aged 12, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Peter Denny" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 26th July 1874 4
Mrs. Charlotte Heaps, (b. 1838), aged 36, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Peter Denny" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 26th July 1874 4
Mr. Joseph P. Heaps, (b. 1862), aged 12, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Peter Denny" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 26th July 1874 4
Mr. Henry B. Heaps, (b. 1863), aged 11, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Peter Denny" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 26th July 1874 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Heaps (post 1700) +

William J. Heaps, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Maryland 2nd District, 1914 5
Jay Heaps (b. 1976), former American soccer player and head coach for the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer
Jake Heaps (b. 1991), American NFL and CFL football quarterback
Elizabeth Heaps, English university administrator and academic, Pro-Vice-Chancellor University of York (2007-)
Stanley A. Heaps (1880-1962), English architect, known for his designs for stations on the London Underground system, train depots and bus and trolleybus garages for London Transport
Imogen Jennifer Jane Heaps (b. 1977), Grammy Award-winning English singer, composer and songwriter
Adrian A. Heaps (b. 1954), Canadian politician, Toronto City Councillor for (Ward 35) Scarborough Southwest (2006-2010)
Abraham Albert Heaps (1885-1954), English-born, Canadian politician and labour leader, Member of the Canadian Parliament for Winnipeg North (1925-1940)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html