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[Surname] Re: Diprose (which explanation is correct? read on....)
Might there be a link to "rhos", Welsh for moorland?!
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As an English surname this is closely associated with the county of Kent, where there is a minor place name, Diprose. Unfortunately it's so minor that nobody seems to have deliberated on its meaning. It is possible that the place is called after a Diprose family. Without knowing anything of the history of the place name an explanation is not possible.
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My understanding is that the family came from Alsace-Lorraine in the early 1700's and the name comes from Du pre meaning of the fields - gypsey - and looking at photographs of my family you can well believe it! The noses and the skin colouring say a lot. There were an number of woodsmen and carpenters among them. They settled on the kent Sussex border and a number of churches in the area have wood carving done by them. Well, that is what i was told by great Aunt Lil!
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