Show ContentsJessepe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Jessepe is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Jessepe comes from the ancient personal name Joseph. The surname Jessop was a baptismal name which meant Joseph. 1

Baptismal names began to appear as surnames relatively late in the growth of the naming tradition. This is a little surprising, given the popularity of biblical figures in the Christian countries of Europe. Nevertheless, surnames derived from baptismal names grew in popularity during the Middle Ages, and have become one of the foremost sources for surnames.

Early Origins of the Jessepe family

The surname Jessepe was first found in Sussex where William Josep was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of 1296. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included an entry for Richard filius Josep in Cambridgeshire at that time and later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Willelmus Josop and Johannes Jesop as holding lands there. 3

Early History of the Jessepe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jessepe research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1602, 1612, 1624, 1631, 1632, 1643, 1648, 1658, 1663 and 1746 are included under the topic Early Jessepe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jessepe Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Jessop, Jessope, Jesop, Jesope, Jessopp, Jessup and many more.

Early Notables of the Jessepe family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Constantine Jessop (1602?-1658), an English Presbyterian minister, son of John Jessop, minister at Pembroke, was born about 1602. In 1624, at the age of twenty-two, he was entered as a student at Jesus College, Oxford. "Thence he went to Trinity College, Dublin, and there graduated B.A. He was incorporated B.A. at Oxford on 30 June 1631, and graduated M.A. on 8 May 1632. On 11 May...
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Jessepe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Jessepe family to Ireland

Some of the Jessepe family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Jessepe family

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Jessepe or a variant listed above: Walter Jessup settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1635; Thomas Jessupp settled in Virginia in 1635; Robert Jessop settled in Massachusetts in 1635; Edward Jessup of Yorkshire settled in Fairfield, Conn. in 1639..



  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  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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