Show ContentsHephner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Hephner family

The surname Hephner was first found in Kent at Hever, a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District. The village dates back to the Saxon Chronicle where it was listed as Heanfre in 814. Literally the place name means "high edge." Nearby, Hever Castle was originally a country house built in the 13th century. Anne Boleyn, the second queen consort of King Henry VIII of England, spent her early youth there. The castle survived over the years and is now a tourist attraction. One of the first listing of the family was found in Sussex in the 13th century.

Early History of the Hephner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hephner research. Another 134 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1194, 1455, 1487, 1510, 1562 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Hephner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hephner Spelling Variations

Hephner has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Spelling variants included: Hever, Heaver, Hefer, Heafer, Hepher, Ever, Eever and many more.

Early Notables of the Hephner family

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

Migration of the Hephner family

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Hephners to arrive on North American shores: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..


Contemporary Notables of the name Hephner (post 1700) +

  • Jeff Hephner, American actor
  • Gervase A. Hephner (b. 1936), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Wisconsin State Assembly, 1967-86 1


  1. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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