Show ContentsHippisly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Hippisly

What does the name Hippisly mean?

The lineage of the name Hippisly begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It is a result of when they lived in Warwickshire, at Ipsley, a parish, in the union of Alcester, Alcester division of the hundred of Barlichway. 1

The place-name Ipsley is composed of two Old English elements. The first is the word yppe, which meant "upland, high place." The second is leah, which meant "forest clearing." The place-name as a whole means "forest clearing on an upland; clearing in a high place." 2

Early Origins of the Hippisly family

The surname Hippisly was first found in Warwickshire where (Holes) de Ippesleye was recorded 20 Edward I (during the twentieth year of King Edward I's reign). 3

Early History of the Hippisly family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hippisly research. Another 58 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1748 and 1825 are included under the topic Early Hippisly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hippisly 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 Hippisly has undergone many spelling variations, including Hippisley, Hippesley, Hippsley, Hipsey, Hipsley and others.

Early Notables of the Hippisly family

Distinguished members of the family include John Hippisley (d. 1748), English actor and dramatist, "born near Wookey Hole in Somersetshire. He seems to have belonged to a well-known Somerset family. He is said in the ‘Biographia Dramatica’ to have first come on the stage as a candle-snuffer, and on the death of Pinkethman to have...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hippisly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hippisly 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 Hippisly were among those contributors: Joseph Hippisley who settled in Maryland in 1774; William Hipsley settled in Barbados in 1654; transferring in 1670 to Virginia; Joe Hippsley settled in St. Christopher in 1635..



The Hippisly 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: Non mihi
Motto Translation: Not for myself.


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. 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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