PIPE
Pipe is an English surname that dates back to the mid twelfth century. The earliest known instance of the name appears in the Staffordshire Chartulary of 1152, where a person is recorded as Henry de Pipa. The form de Pipa is an early Latinised version of the Old English word pipa, meaning a pipe or tube.
Etymologically the surname may have arisen in several ways. It can be an occupational name for a maker of musical pipes or a player of that instrument, or it may derive from a personal name such as the female Pypa or the male Pipe recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. The same Old English word was also used for a water–pipe or a conduit, so the name could be a topographic reference to a dwelling near a small stream or a water channel. In some historic contexts it served as a nickname for a person of a thin, pipe‑like physique or a high‑pitched voice.
The surname has been documented in a variety of spellings over the centuries, including Pyep, Pyepe, and Pype. Contemporary records illustrate its use within England, such as Swan Pipe of Shropshire in 1221 and John del Pipe in the Calendar of Close Rolls in 1267. In London, the marriage of Richard Pype to Elizabeth Lucye on 24 May 1546 at St. Lawrence Jewry, Milk Street, and the christening of Elizabeth, daughter of Jermaine Pipe, on 21 February 1584 at St. Ann's, Blackfriars, further confirm the surname’s endurance.
In modern times the surname Pipe is most commonly found in England and Wales, but it is also represented throughout the other parts of the British Isles – Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. The name has spread beyond the United Kingdom, appearing in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, where English‑speaking communities have historically settled. Despite variations in spelling, such as Pype or Pyper, the core surname remains recognisable across these regions.
Typical given names associated with the Pipe surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Gillian
- Jacqueline
- Julie
- Margaret
- Mary
- Michelle
- Nicola
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Paap
- Pap
- Papa
- Papai
- Pape
- Papi
- Papia
- Papo
- Papou
- Papp
- Pappa
- Pappe
- Pappoe
- Pappu
- Paupe
- Peep
- Peop
- Pep
- Pepa
- Pepe
- Pepi
- Pepp
- Peppa
- Peppe
- Peppi
- Pie
- Piippo
- Pip
- Pipa
- Piper
- Pipes
- Pipet
- Pipi
- Pipia
- Pipke
- Pipo
- Pippa
- Pippi
- Pippo
- Pipps
- Poop
- Poope
- Pop
- Popa
- Pope
- Popi
- Popie
- Popo
- Popp
- Poppa
- Poppe
- Poppie
- Poup
- Poupa
- Pup
- Pupe
- Puppe
- Puppo
- Pype
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Pipe in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 2,437 people named Pipe in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,578th most common surname in Britain. Around 37 in a million people in Britain are named Pipe.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Pipe
- David Pipe - Welsh football player
- Justin Pipe - Darts player
- Martin Pipe - Horse trainer
- James Pipe - Cricketer
- Jimmy Pipe - Football player (1909 to 1987)
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.