CAPLE
Caple is a surname of strictly English provenance, deriving ultimately from the Old English word capel or the Middle English form capele, both meaning “chapel”. The name is therefore intrinsically linked to Christian worship and to the structures that housed it.
The earliest documentary reference to the name is in the Pipe Rolls of Herefordshire, where a “Jacob de Capel” is recorded in 1193 during the reign of King Richard I. This early appearance indicates that the surname was already in use in the late twelfth century as a means of identifying a person by his association with a chapel, either through residence or occupation.
As a locational surname, Caple is associated with several places named Capel or Caple across England. Notably, Capel in Kent and Suffolk were recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as “Capeles”, derived from the Middle English word capes for a chapel. In Hertfordshire, Caple How and Kings Caple appear as “Capel” in the same record, their names stemming from the Old Norman French capele, again meaning chapel. The Latin root capella, originally a diminutive of capa (hood or cloak), was later adapted to signify a chapel, a shrine such as that at Tours where a cloak of St. Martin is preserved as a relic.
In medieval society it was common for individuals to receive surnames based on a geographical landmark or a notable building near their place of residence. Consequently, Caple was often applied to those who lived near a chapel or who provided services within such an establishment. At times, the name served as a topographic marker, denoting proximity to a chapel rather than an occupational title alone.
The surname appears in a variety of spellings including Capel, Capelle, Cappel, Kapel and Caples. These variations reflect regional dialects and the orthographic fluidity of the Middle Ages, before spelling conventions were standardised. In addition, the name has been recorded in forms such as Capell, Capple and Caplen, all retaining the core meaning linked to a chapel.
Throughout the centuries, individuals bearing the surname recorded marriages and other civil events, such as the union of Edward Caple and Mary Harwood at St. Dunstan’s, Stepney, London, on 28 October 1634. Such entries provide evidence of the name’s continued presence in English society throughout the Early Modern period.
In contemporary times the name Caple remains relatively uncommon, yet it is most frequently encountered in the counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire, where several villages are still known as Upper Caple and Lower Caple. The surname has also crossed the Atlantic and Pacific, appearing among descendants in the United States, Canada and Australia, a dispersal linked to migration from England in earlier centuries.
Related families with parallel etymological roots include Caplin, Caplan and Cappleman, all of which share the underlying concept of an association with a chapel or a location defined by a chapel. Despite these connections, the essential identity of the name Caple remains tied to its Old English heritage and to the religious buildings that gave it its standing within medieval England.
Typical given names associated with the Caple surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- Gareth
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Robert
- Simon
- Stephen
Female
- Anna
- Catherine
- Christine
- Emma
- Hilary
- Jane
- Jennifer
- Laura
- Margaret
- Melanie
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Sharon
- Tina
- Wendy
Similar and related surnames
- Capal
- Capek
- Capel
- Capela
- Capelao
- Capele
- Capelen
- Capelis
- Capell
- Capella
- Capelle
- Capelli
- Capello
- Capelo
- Capez
- Capil
- Capill
- Capille
- Caplea
- Capler
- Caples
- Caplew
- Capley
- Cappel
- Cappell
- Cappella
- Cappelle
- Cappelli
- Cappellie
- Cappello
- Cappiello
- Capple
- Capples
- Coppell
- Copple
- Gopaul
- Kapal
- Kapel
- Kapela
- Kapelle
- Kapil
- Kaple
- Kappel
- Kappell
- Kappels
- Kappil
- Kapples
- Keeple
- Keple
- Kepple
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Caple in...
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There are approximately 852 people named Caple in the UK. That makes it roughly the 8,375th most common surname in Britain. Around 13 in a million people in Britain are named Caple.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Caple
- Tim Caple - Commentator
- Stephen Caple - Cricketer
- Robert Caple - Cricketer
- Colette Caple -
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.