Steppe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The origins of the Steppe surname date from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name originated with an early member who was a person who "treads lightly" 1 or may refer "[to a person's] gait." 2

Early Origins of the Steppe family

The surname Steppe was first found in various counties and shires throughout England. Early records of the name were very scarce yet one source claims that John Stepsoft who was listed in 1260 as a probable ancestor. 1

Many years later, William Steptoe was listed in the Hearth Tax Returns for Oxfordshire in 1665 and in 1674, John Steptoe was listed in the Hearth Tax Rolls for Suffolk. 1 One branch of the family was established in Middlesex as Anthony Steptoe immigrated to America from there in 1676.

Early History of the Steppe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Steppe research. Another 51 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1751, 1753, 1788 and 1802 are included under the topic Early Steppe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Steppe Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Steppe has been recorded under many different variations, including Stepto, Steptoe, Steptow, Steptowe and others.

Early Notables of the Steppe family

Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Steppe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Steppe Ranking

In the United States, the name Steppe is the 17,967^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Steppe migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Steppe or a variant listed above:

Steppe Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Carl Steppe, aged 19, who landed in New York, NY in 1847 4
Facin Steppe, aged 21, who arrived in New York, NY in 1847 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Steppe (post 1700) +

John F. Steppe, American Republican politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Kings County 12th District, 1926; Candidate for New York State Senate 6th District, 1932 5

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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html