Leaper History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Leaper surname is thought to have evolved independently from two distinct sources. Some instances of the name come from the Middle English "le pere," from the Old English "le-ap," meaning "a basket;" in which case the name was occupational for a basket maker. Other instances of the name come from the Old English "hle-apere," meaning a "dancer," "runner," or "courier," and the name would have been either occupational or nickname.

Early Origins of the Leaper family

The surname Leaper was first found in Warwickshire the first on record of the name appears to be Robert Lepere, a Knights Templar in Warwickshire in 1185. Later in Essex, Geoffrey Lepere was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1221. Richard le Lepor was recorded in 1298. 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Geoffrey le Lepere, Oxfordshire; Walter le Lepere, Buckinghamshire; and Robert Leper, Lincolnshire. In Yorkshire, Alicia Lepar was listed there in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. William le Poure was found in the Close Rolls, 1 Edward I (during the first year of the reign of King Edward I.) 2

Early History of the Leaper family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Leaper research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1295 and 1713 are included under the topic Early Leaper History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Leaper Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Leeper, Leaper, Leper, LePere, Lepere, Lepper, Leiper, Leyper, Peer, Pere, Peir and many more.

Early Notables of the Leaper family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was William Peer (died 1713), English actor. He owes the survival of his name to a humorous mention of his career...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Leaper Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Leaper migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Leaper or a variant listed above:

Leaper Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Leaper, who landed in Virginia in 1658 3

Leaper Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Margret Leaper, who settled in Philadelphia in 1819

Leaper migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Leaper Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

James Leaper, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1815
James Leaper, aged 46, Scottish chain maker who landed in Pictou, Nova Scotia in 1815-1816

Contemporary Notables of the name Leaper (post 1700) +

Adrian Leaper (b. 1953), English orchestra conductor

Citations +

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)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)