Show ContentsLipman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Lipman comes from the German region of Westphalia. The tradition of adopting hereditary surnames came to Germany after the 12th century, and the names of places where people lived were a primary source. Many local names carry the prefix "von", meaning "of" or "from," which was originally an indicator of land ownership, and is sometimes a mark of nobility. The Lipman family originally lived in the province of Westphalia. The name is of several possible origins. Firstly, it is a short form of the personal name Philipp; for example, Count Philipp von Hessen was popularly known as "Lips." Alternatively, the name is derived from "Lippe," the name of a place in Westphalia; in this instance, the progenitor of the name would likely have been a native of Lippe who had settled in another city.

Early Origins of the Lipman family

The surname Lipman was first found in Westphalia, where the name was closely identified in early mediaeval times with the feudal society which would become prominent throughout European history. Lippe was one of the smallest states in Germany until 1945, and is now part of Lower-Saxony. Lippe is also a river running through Westphalia and entering the Rhine just north of the Ruhr region. Chronicles speak of Arnold Lipper or von der Lippe in 1222. The name would later emerge as a noble family with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and become noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs.

Early History of the Lipman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lipman research. Another 152 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1129, 1232, 1547, 1550, 1606, 1800 and 1806 are included under the topic Early Lipman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lipman Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Lipman include Lipp, Lippe, Lips, Lipps, Lipsius, Lippl, Lipple, Lippel, Lipgens, Lipgin, Lippman, Lipmann, Lipman, Lippmeier, Lipper and many more.

Early Notables of the Lipman family

Notables of the period with the name Lipman were Wilhelm Anton von der Lippe (around 1800), of the House of Wintrup, who was the canon of the Cathedral in Muenster as well as the...
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lipman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lipman Ranking

In the United States, the name Lipman is the 12,188th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Lipman migration to the United States +

For many Germans, emigration to North America was an inviting alternative to the trials of life in the old country. From the mid-17th into the present century, thousands of Germans migrated across the Atlantic. They capitalized on the chance to escape poverty and persecution, and to own their own land. After 1650, Germans settled throughout the states of Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many also landed in Canada, settling in Ontario or father west on the rich land of the prairies. Among them:

Lipman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Lewis Lipman, who arrived in America in 1832
  • Hart Lipman, who arrived in America in 1840
  • Simon Lipman, aged 34, who arrived in Key West, Fla in 1842 2
  • Solomon Lipman, who arrived in America in 1844
  • Lewis Lipman, who landed in Texas in 1850-1906 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Lipman 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:

Lipman Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Andrew P. Lipman, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Pegasus" in 1865

Contemporary Notables of the name Lipman (post 1700) +

  • Wynona M. Lipman, American Democratic Party politician, Member of New Jersey State Senate 29th District, 1976; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Jersey, 1980, 1988, 1996 3
  • Mary G. Lipman, American politician, Socialist Workers Candidate for Presidential Elector for Massachusetts, 1972 3
  • Julius Lipman, American politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Monroe County 1st District, 1932, 1933 3


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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