EARP
Earp is a surname of English origin which has been identified as deriving from the Old English word eorp, meaning a wild boar. The name is understood to be either topographic, indicating residence near a place associated with wild boars, or occupational, denoting a hunter or keeper of such animals.
Alternate etymological explanations exist for the name. One theory proposes that it originates from the Old Saxon byname Erpo, meaning dark, a nickname that would have been applied to a person of a dark or swarthy complexion. Another possibility is a dialectal variant of the metonymic occupational name erpel, which comes from the Middle Low German erpel, meaning a drake; this would describe an individual who tended ducks. A third hypothesis is that the surname is locational, taken from a place called Erpel in the Rhineland, a name of pre‑Germanic origin.
Two early records of christenings in London bear the name. One is that of Elizabeth Earp, daughter of Jephery and Elizabeth, dated 20 September 1657. The second is Mermeduke Earp, son of William and Mary, recorded at St. Margaret's, Westminster. The earliest documented spelling appears as William Erpe in a Marriage Licence dated 1561 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
In the United States, the surname gained lasting notoriety through the celebrated frontier lawman Wyatt Earp, whose involvement in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral has made the name a part of American cultural heritage. While the name is uncommon in the United Kingdom, it is more frequently encountered in the United States, particularly in states such as Texas, California and Missouri, and to a lesser extent in Canada and Australia.
Several variant spellings are recognised, including Earpe, Earpp, Eirp, Eirpe, Eripp, Erp, Erpp and Arp. Despite these variations, the standard spelling today remains Earp. The surname, while rare, remains distinctive and is often associated with its historical figures as well as with the broader linguistic heritage of Anglo‑Saxon England.
In contemporary usage, Earp retains a sense of singularity and historical depth that reflects its Old English roots and the varied occupational, topographic and locational origins documented in historical records. Its presence in both British and American genealogical records underscores a shared linguistic heritage that spans the Atlantic and the centuries.
Typical given names associated with the Earp surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Jonathan
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Stephen
Female
- Alison
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Janet
- Jill
- Julie
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Michelle
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Earp in...
Braille
⠑⠁⠗⠏
Morse
..-.-..--.
Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Earp are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Biscoff.
There are approximately 1,748 people named Earp in the UK. That makes it roughly the 4,702nd most common surname in Britain. Around 27 in a million people in Britain are named Earp.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Earp
- Wyatt Earp - American gambler and frontier marshal (1848 to 1929)
- Heidi Earp - Swimmer, Olympic athlete
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.