Josopp History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Josopp arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Josopp 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 Josopp family

The surname Josopp 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 Josopp family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Josopp 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 Josopp History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Josopp Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Jessop, Jessope, Jesop, Jesope, Jessopp, Jessup and many more.

Early Notables of the Josopp 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 Josopp Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Josopp family to Ireland

Some of the Josopp 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 Josopp family

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Josopp 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..

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)