This interesting surname of English origin is a topographical name for someone living by a cold pond, deriving from the Old English pre 7th Century "col" meaning "cool" plus "paesc(e)" "pond". The surname dates back to the late 16th Century, (see below). Variations in the idiom of the spelling include Colepus, Colpas, etc., John, son of John Colpas, was christened on October 17th 1650, at Frensham, Surrey. Susannah, daughter of Henry and Millescent Colepus, was christened at St. Olave, Southwark, London, on September 28th 1693, and Robert Colpas married Charity Dary at St. Marylebone, St. Mary Street, Marylebone Road, London, on February 26th 1772. Elizabeth Colpus married William Hitchcock at St. Pancras, Old Church, London, on September 10th 1810, and Mary Ann, daughter of William and Ruth Colpus, was christened on February 4th 1835, at St. Mary Whitechapel, Stepney, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Thomas Colpise, witness at the christening of his son Thomas, which was dated 1585, St. Nicholas, Guildford, Surrey, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, "Good Queen Bess", 1558 - 1603. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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