Peefer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Peefer

What does the name Peefer mean?

The Anglo-Saxon name Peefer comes from when its first bearer worked as a spicer or seller of spices and/or pepper. Occupational names that were derived from the common trades of the medieval era transcended European cultural and linguistic boundaries. Occupational names have remained fairly commonplace in the modern period. This is attested to by the continuing appearance of occupational suffixes at the end of many English surnames. Some of these suffixes include: herd, monger, maker, hewer, smith and wright.

Early Origins of the Peefer family

The surname Peefer was first found in Leicestershire where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Peefer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Peefer research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1890 is included under the topic Early Peefer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Peefer Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Peefer include Pepper, Peper and others.

Early Notables of the Peefer family

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

Migration of the Peefer family to Ireland

Some of the Peefer family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 72 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Peefer family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Peefer or a variant listed above: Richard Pepper and Mary Pepper, who settled in Massachusetts in 1634; Henry Pepper, who settled in Virginia in 1643; John Pepper, who came to Virginia in 1653.