Surname Heaphy - Meaning and Origin

Heaphy: What does the surname Heaphy mean?

The last name Heaphy is an English surname derived from a Norman given name, Haphus. The name Haphus, derived from the Latin term haphus meaning 'pleasant voice', is thought to have been brought to England by the Normans during the 11th century. The surname Heaphy is thought to refer to those who came from Haphus, or who were descended from people who had that given name.

In some parts of England, the last name Heaphy was recorded as Heaphey and Heffey. It is likely that the surname Heaphy is also an occupational surname, meaning that it derives from the practice of its original bearers as being a "heaf," or a heafmaster. A heaf was a type of hay, associated with the land and animals belonging to it. Historically, men and women in England who were responsible for tending to the land and animals may have been given the family name Heaphy.

The origins of Heaphy may date further back in time, as the Anglo-Saxon word, heaf, meaning "hay-stacking" or "hay-stacks", predates the Norman Invasion of England. As such, it is possible that the Heaphy family line has been around much longer than previously thought.

The Heaphy surname today is most common in England, where it can be found in counties such as Essex, Suffolk, Kent, Surrey, Oxfordshire, Worcestershire, and Leicestershire.

Heaphy: Where does the name Heaphy come from?

The last name Heaphy is an Irish surname, most common today in the province of Leinster where it is ranked as the 46th most common name in Ireland. The name Heaphy was first found in counties Cork and Kerry where they held a family seat from ancient times.

In Ireland, Heaphy is mainly found in Lupinstown and Idrone in County Kilkenny, and is also fairly common in Cork and Wicklow, as well as the counties of Tipperary, Wexford, Waterford, and even Dublin.

In the United States, the Heaphy name is particularly established in the East Coast states of Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Rhode Island; however, there are fewer than 500 people given this name.

The name Heaphy has spread to Australia, particularly Melbourne where it is estimated to be the 733rd most common name. It is also found in South Africa where, to date, the surname is more widespread than the UK.

Overall, the Heaphy surname is most commonly found in its native Ireland, the US East Coast states, Australia, and South Africa.

Variations of the surname Heaphy

The surname Heaphy is of Irish origin and variants of this name include Heaffy, Heafy, Heffey, Heffy, Hephy, Heffie, Heffi, Hefey and Hefee. The name Heaphy stems from an Irish gaelic personal name, O’hEathbha which is derived from the word ‘eádhábh’ meaning ‘the dark one’ in reference to hair or eyes.

The variant surnames that are linked to Heaphy are common spellings, which may be seen as Heafey, Hefey, Heffe and Hefy for example.

These variant spellings and surnames are not exclusive to Ireland, as the Heaphy surname was spread throughout Scotland, England, Canada, the United States and Australia with Irish immigration.

Surnames which may be related to the those sharing Heaphy’s origin are Ievers, Ieffery, Fee and Feehely.

The Ivers surname originates from the Irish Gaelic O’Iomhair meaning ‘son of the lord’ and this can be broken down into Lakes and Rice form anglicised spellings of Laike, Reyse, Lykes and Ryce.

The Fee surname is derived from the Gaelic word “O’Fee” which translates to ‘fire’. The variations of name can be broken down into several variants such as Feehily, Feyger, Feighley and Fegley.

The surname Heaphy is still used currently in Ireland, England, Scotland, Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand.

Famous people with the name Heaphy

• Shane Heaphy: New Zealand rower who competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics
• Danny Heaphy: English football player who has competed for several clubs, most notably Swindon Town and Brighton & Hove Albion
• Francis Heaphy: Irish author known for his historical novels
• Meghan Heaphy: Canadian actor who has appeared in films such as The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones and The Barber
• Edward Heaphy: American army officer who served in the US Army during World War II
• Stephen Heaphy: British entrepreneur who founded an international technology company
• Louis Heaphy: Irish architect and designer whose work includes the original Bernie Grant Arts Centre in London
• William Heaphy: English astronomer who served as director of the Cambridge University Observatory
• Dara Heaphy: Irish film director and producer whose notable works include The Wind That Shakes the Barley and The Secret of Kells
• Michael Heaphy: Australian musician who plays lead guitar for the rock band The Black Sorrows

Other surnames

Heaphey