Show ContentsTorpen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Torpen Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Torpen

What does the name Torpen mean?

The history of the Torpen family name begins after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Dorset. Their name, however, is a reference to Turpin Au Bois, Normandy, 1 the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the French name Turpinus, a derivative of the Latin 'turpis,' meaning 'disgraceful,' a name adopted by the early Christians as a token of humility. 2

Another source claims the name could have been "derived from the name of an ancestor, as in 'the son of Thorfin,' a popular name among the Danes, which originated some of our place-names; e.g. Thorpanstye, otherwise Thorfinstye Hall, in the parish of Cartmel, Lancashire, was so named from the owner Thorfin or Torpin, a great landowner (of twelve manors) at the time of the Doomsday Survey." 3

Early Origins of the Torpen family

The surname Torpen was first found in Dorset but was quickly found in Yorkshire shortly after the Norman Conquest. One of the first records of the name was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Torfin or Turfin. 4

Turfinus filius Torfini was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1130 as was Torphinus in the same rolls in 1196. A few years later, Gaufridus filius Thorphini was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1204. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list John Turpin in Oxfordshire. 3 Whitchester in Northumberland was home to a branch of the family. "This place was for ages the possession of the Turpin family." 5

"Turpin was a common name in Exmouth in the 16th and 17th centuries. William Turpin was churchwarden of Littleham in 1575. Turpin is also an ancient east of England name, specifically found in Essex. " 6

"The name of Turpin was represented in Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Oxfordshire, and Wilts, in the 13th century (Hundredorum Rolls). In the reign of Mary, George Turpin, Esq., bought the manor of Claybrook, Leicestershire, from Thomas Lacey, Esq., of Charlecote, Warwickshire. The name is also now represented in Devonshire." 6

Richard "Dick" Turpin (1705-1739), the infamous English highwayman who was executed on 22 March 1739 for his deeds was inspiration for many English ballads, theatre and films hailed from Hempstead, Essex. Ironically, Turpin was never convicted of being a highwayman or a murderer. He was convicted of being a horse-rustler and that led to his execution.

In Scotland, the name dates back to 1178 when Turpin was the name of the second known bishop of Brechin. Early records often listed the early Latin form of the name as in "Magister Turpinus [who] witnessed a charter by William the Lion of the Church of Foregrund, c. 1165-71." 7 Walter, son of Turpin, exchanged his lands of Kenny for those of Othirlony, c. 1226-39, William, son of Turpun, was juror on an Inquisition concerning the lands of Mefth, 1262. He may have been a relative of Richard Turpin who witnessed a charter by Bernard de Rippelai in the twelfth century. 7

Early History of the Torpen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Torpen research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1529, 1554, 1563, 1565, 1572, 1574, 1583, 1619 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Torpen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Torpen Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Turpine, Torpin, Turpin, Turbin, Turping, Tirping, Tirpin, Terpin, Turpen and many more.

Early Notables of the Torpen family

Sir George Turpin (1529-1583), of Knaptoft, Leicestershire and London, an English Member of Parliament for Leicestershire in November 1554, 1563 and 1572. He was a Justice of the Peace...
Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Torpen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Torpen family to Ireland

Some of the Torpen family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 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 Torpen family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Torpen or a variant listed above were: John Turpin who settled in Barbados in 1635; John Turpine settled in New Jersey in 1685; sometimes called Turpnie; Henry Turpin settled in Barbados in 1680 with his son and servants.
  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  5. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  6. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  7. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)

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