Opshon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales

Etymology of Opshon

What does the name Opshon mean?

The Opshon surname is a patronymic name created from the personal name John. The original form of the name was ap-John: the Welsh patronymic prefix "ap-," means "son of," but the prefix has been assimilated into the surname over the course of time.

Early Origins of the Opshon family

The surname Opshon was first found in Flintshire (Welsh: Sir y Fflint), a historic county, created after the defeat of the Welsh Kingdom of Gwynedd in 1284, and located in north-east Wales, in Wales where they were lineally descended from Meyrick, son of Prince Llewellyn, who was lineally descended from Hwfa Ap Cynddelw, founder of the first noble tribe of North Wales, descended was John Ap Meyric, whose son Robert Ap John was the ancestor of the ApJohns and UpJohns.

Early History of the Opshon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Opshon research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Opshon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Opshon Spelling Variations

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Opshon has occasionally been spelled Upjohn, ApJohn, Apshone and others.

Early Notables of the Opshon family

More information is included under the topic Early Opshon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Opshon family

The Welsh migration to North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries contributed greatly to its rapid development. These migrants were in search of land, work, and freedom. Those Welsh families that survived the long ocean journey were critical to the development of new industries and factories, and to the quick settlement of land. They also added to an ever-growing rich cultural heritage. A search of the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Opshon: Edward UpJohn settled in Philadelphia in 1774; James Upjohn settled in New England in 1801; Mary Upjohn settled in New York City with four children in 1823.