Topping History
Topping History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The ancestors of the Topping family brought their name to England in the wave of migration 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]
Early Origins of the Topping family
The surname Topping 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. [3]
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. [4] Whitchester in Northumberland was home to a branch of the family. "This place was for ages the possession of the Turpin family." [5]
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.
Early History of the Topping family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Topping research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1619 and are included under the topic Early Topping History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Topping Spelling Variations
Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Topping were recorded, including Turpine, Torpin, Turpin, Turbin, Turping, Tirping, Tirpin, Terpin, Turpen and many more.
Early Notables of the Topping family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Topping Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Topping Ranking
In the United States, the name Topping is the 8,875th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [6]
Migration of the Topping family to Ireland
Some of the Topping family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Topping migration to the United States +
The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Topping arrived in North America very early:
Topping Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Thomas Topping, who landed in Connecticut in 1651 [7]
Samuel Topping, who arrived in Virginia in 1693 [7]
Robert Topping, who landed in Virginia in 1701 [7]
Henry Topping, aged 38, who landed in New York in 1812 [7]
John Topping, aged 30, who arrived in New York in 1812 [7]
Alexander Topping, aged 25, who settled in America from Glasgow, in 1903
David Topping, aged 35, who settled in America from London, in 1906
Annie Topping, aged 35, who landed in America from Kendal, England, in 1909
Annie Gosing Topping, aged 39, who immigrated to America from Barbados, West Indies, in 1910
Andrew Topping, aged 23, who immigrated to the United States from Gilford, Ireland, in 1912
Topping migration to Canada +
Topping Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
Edward Topping, who arrived in Canada in 1816
Topping migration to Australia +
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Topping Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
Mr. Henry Topping, (b. 1797), aged 19, English brick maker who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 16th January 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1828 [8]
Contemporary Notables of the name Topping (post 1700) +
Seymour Topping (1921-2020), American journalist and administrator of the Pulitzer Prizes from 1993 to 2002
Jenny Louise Topping (b. 1980), American former 4-time NCAA Division I First Team All-American, left-handed hitting softball player
Nathaniel Topping, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Suffolk County, 1836 [9]
Kile Topping (1897-1978), American Republican politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Lincoln County, 1929-30 [9]
Harry L. Topping, American Republican politician, Elected Illinois State House of Representatives 20th District 1940 [9]
Harry Topping (1913-2001), English footballer, later a coach in the Netherlands
Keith Andrew Topping (b. 1963), English author, journalist and broadcaster
Daniel Reid Topping (1912-1974), part owner and president of the New York Yankees baseball team (1945 to 1964)
George Topping (1881-1916), retired Australian rules footballer
Richard Topping (b. 1967), British stand-up comedian, author, and television personality
Historic Events for the Topping family +
RMS Lusitania
Mrs. Margaret Topping, English 3rd Class passenger residing in Brooklyn, New York, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking [10]
Miss Hilda Topping, English 3rd Class passenger residing in Brooklyn, New York, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking [10]
Curia Regis Rolls
Pipe Rolls
First Fleets
^ Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
^ Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
^ The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
^ Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Topping (England)