Historical Background
Many 'Keppies' will be aware of the tale of two of their ancestors who are said to have come to the United Kingdom from France as Huguenot refugees. The realities are, from our researches so far, that this must be considered legendary. While the revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1685) did force many Huguenots to flee to England, Scotland and elsewhere, we have no evidence that any of these were 'Keppies'. Also, we have on record many of our name (or one of its variants listed on the Background to our Name page) in the East Lothian (previously Haddingtonshire) and Edinburgh areas of Scotland earlier in the 17th and 16th Centuries.
There is, however, a Mormon record reference to a 'Caipie' in France in the 16th Century and it is a matter of history that emigrants from France and the Low Countries moved to Scotland from the 13th Century onwards. While there may, therefore, be a 'French Connection', it is as yet unproven and our researches will have to continue.
Other suggested sources encountered by us are given below.
- "KEPPIE (Scots): habitation name from 'Kippo' in Fife - so called from Gaelic
'ceap', 'cip': block, tree-stump, hillock, plus suffix 'ach' (variation 'Kippie')."
(From 'A Dictionary of Surnames': Hanks and Hodges, O.U.P. 1988.)
A variation on the above says that Keppie and Keppy are of Scottish locational origin from the lands of Kippo in Fife, so-called from the Gaelic "ceapach" meaning a tillage plot, the component elements being "ceap" or "cip" ("land cleared of tree-stumps", hence suitable for agriculture) and the locational suffix "ach" (meaning "dweller at" or "of the ceap"). - "KIPPIE, KEPPIE: Fife surnames. Keppie is also found in Shetland (introduced
there, probably, by some ferry louper from Fife). There were Lands of Kippo in
Fife (Retours 136, 251, etc.). Margaret Keppie in Edinburgh, 1697 (Edin. Marriages)."
(From 'The Surnames of Scotland': George F Black (New York Public Library).) - "CAPIE (CAPPIE, CHAPIE, CHAPPE, CHAPEA) The Chapie family originated in Burgundy
and at one time were the bearers of the Burgundian Cap of Maintenance of the Dukes of
Burgundy. When Burgundy came under the rule of the King of France in 1524,
the Capies suffered for their loyalty to the Duke of Burgundy. They had their lands
forfeited and many of them went into exile. A branch of them settled in Lincolnshire
and, as usual, they spread out - though there are several 'Capie' families in Lincolnshire at present."
(From a West of Scotland 'Capie' family, together with a family 'crest'.)