Lepper History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Lepper

What does the name Lepper mean?

The Lepper 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 Lepper family

The surname Lepper 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 Lepper family

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

Lepper Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Lepper family name include Leeper, Leaper, Leper, LePere, Lepere, Lepper, Leiper, Leyper, Peer, Pere, Peir and many more.

Early Notables of the Lepper family

William Peer (died 1713), English actor. He owes the survival of his name to a humorous mention of his career by Steele in the Guardian, No. 82. He...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lepper Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lepper migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Lepper family to immigrate North America:

Lepper Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Philipp Hermann Lepper, who landed in New York in 1709-1710 3
Philippus Herman Lepper, who arrived in New York in 1709 3
Mrs. Philipp Hermann Lepper, who arrived in New York, NY in 1710 3
John Philip Lepper, aged 12, who arrived in New York in 1710 3
James Lepper, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1739 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lepper Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Adam Lepper, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1803-1827 3
Arthur Lepper, who arrived in America in 1810 3
Johannes Lepper, who arrived in America in 1832 3
Gearhard Lepper, who arrived in Somerset County, Pennsylvania in 1833 3
Franz Lepper, who landed in America in 1846 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lepper migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Lepper Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Charles19 Lepper a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Avalanche" in 1875
John J. Lepper, aged 19, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Berar" in 1875
Charles W. Lepper, aged 16, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Berar" in 1875
William R. Lepper, aged 14, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Berar" in 1875
Mary Kate Lepper, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "British Empire" in 1880 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Lepper (post 1700) +

Mark R Lepper (b. 1944), American professor of psychology at Stanford University, who has studied attribution theory and belief perseverance
John A. Lepper, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Massachusetts, 1988; Elected Massachusetts State House of Representatives Second Bristol District 2002 5
David Lepper (b. 1945), British politician in the United Kingdom

Sources +

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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html