Stepps History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Stepps

What does the name Stepps mean?

The name Stepps is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. Stepps was a name used for a person who "treads lightly" 1 or may refer "[to a person's] gait." 2

Early Origins of the Stepps family

The surname Stepps 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 Stepps family

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

Stepps Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Stepps include Stepto, Steptoe, Steptow, Steptowe and others.

Early Notables of the Stepps family

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

Stepps migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Stepps were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Stepps Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Ann Stepps, who arrived in Maryland in 1674 3

Stepps migration to Australia +

Stepps Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Moses Stepps, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Buckinghamshire" in 1839 4

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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Buckinghamshire.htm