Show ContentsIrpingghan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Irpingghan arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Irpingghan family lived in Norfolk. The name, however, derives from the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Herpingham, Normandy.

Early Origins of the Irpingghan family

The surname Irpingghan was first found in Norfolk where they were conjecturally descended from Roger Bigod, one of the most distinguished of all Norman nobles, who was granted the lands by King William, Duke of Normandy after the Norman Conquest in 1066 A.D, and was a junior branch of the Bigots. The village of Erpingham or anciently Herpincham consisted largely of a church and cottages, and was recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086. "The church, which is in the decorated and later English styles, with a lofty embattled tower, was repaired in 1841; in the south aisle is a brass effigy of a knight in armour, to the memory of Sir John de Erpingham, a great contributor towards the erection of the church." 1

Early History of the Irpingghan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Irpingghan research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Irpingghan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Irpingghan Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Erpingham, Erpincham, Herpingham, Herpincham, Empringham and many more.

Early Notables of the Irpingghan family

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

Migration of the Irpingghan family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Irpingghan or a variant listed above were: Thomas Erpingham settled in Barbados in 1685.



  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.


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