Show ContentsJeppeson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Jeppeson 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 The surname Jeppeson makes use of the patronymic suffix -son, which had superseded all other such suffixes in popularity by the 14th century, and was most common in the north of Britain.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 Jeppeson family

The surname Jeppeson 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 Jeppeson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jeppeson research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1691, 1720, 1797 and 1821 are included under the topic Early Jeppeson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jeppeson Spelling Variations

Compared to other ancient cultures found in the British Isles, the number of Welsh surnames are relatively few, but there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations. These spelling variations began almost as soon as surname usage became common. People could not specify how to spell their own names leaving the specific recording up to the individual scribe or priest. Those recorders would then spell the names as they heard them, causing many different variations. Later, many Welsh names were recorded in English. This transliteration process was extremely imprecise since the Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh used many sounds the English language was not accustomed to. Finally, some variations occurred by the individual's design: a branch loyalty within a family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were indicated by spelling variations of one's name. The Jeppeson name over the years has been spelled Jeffers, Jefferson, Jeffson, Jephson and others.

Early Notables of the Jeppeson family

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

Ireland Migration of the Jeppeson family to Ireland

Some of the Jeppeson 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 Jeppeson family

Many people from Wales joined the general migration to North America in the 19th and 20th centuries, searching for land, work, and freedom. Like the many other immigrants from the British Isles, they made a significant contribution to the development of Canada and the United States. The Welsh and their descendents added a rich cultural tradition to the newly developed towns, cities, and villages. An investigation of the immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Jeppeson: 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.


Contemporary Notables of the name Jeppeson (post 1700) +

  • S. T. Jeppeson, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Utah, 1944 2


The Jeppeson 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: A cruce salus
Motto Translation: Salvation from the cross.


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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