CHAPPELL
The surname Chappell is of English origin and historically associated with the British Isles. It has also been identified with an early French influence, reflecting the linguistic changes that followed the Norman Conquest.
The name is thought to derive from the Old French word chapel or chapele, which itself comes from the Latin capella meaning a small church or sanctuary. Consequently, the surname may have first been applied to a person who lived near such a place of worship, a topographic designation, or alternatively to a person employed in a chapel, such as a sexton or other church official.
These topographic and occupational roots place the name firmly within a Christian context. The usage of the name as a geographic marker shows that, in the early medieval period, the presence of a chapel could provide a distinctive feature in an otherwise otherwise uniform rural landscape, giving rise to surnames such as Chappell, Chappel, Chapple, Capelle and Capewell.
The earliest documented instance of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1202, where a Johannus Chapel is recorded. This takes place during the reign of King John, who was known as “Lackland” in the period 1199 to 1216.
In London, the christening of Abraham, son of Thomas and Ann Chapple, is recorded on 7th August 1623 at St. Botolph's in Bishopsgate. Such parish entries illustrate the continued use of the name within urban settings a few centuries after its earliest appearance.
The heraldry associated with the Chappell family was first granted on 20th October 1686 to Richard Chapell, Deputy Auditing Gentleman of the Exchequer. The blazon reads: a gold shield with a black anchor between two chaplets in fess vert; the crest consists of a demi lion rampant vert holding a chaplet in the dexter paw. This coat of arms is – to the best of our knowledge – the most commonly linked heraldic device to the surname.
Consequently, the Chappell surname carries a long tradition rooted in a specific place of worship, Christian service and a historical continuity that can be traced from the early twelfth century to the period of the early modern era. This lineage is reflected not only in parish records, but also in the preserved heraldic evidence that signifies the identity and status adopted by the family over the centuries.
Typical given names associated with the Chappell surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Jane
- Julie
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Rebecca
- Sarah
- Susan
- Victoria
Similar and related surnames
- Chapell
- Chapel
- Chapple
- Chappie
- Chappel
- Chappelle
- Chapallaz
- Chapeld
- Chapelle
- Chapells
- Chapelow
- Chapels
- Chapla
- Chaple
- Chaples
- Chappale
- Chappall
- Chappelaw
- Chappele
- Chappelhow
- Chappellow
- Chappells
- Chappelow
- Chappels
- Chappil
- Chappill
- Chappl
- Chapples
- Chapwell
- Chiappelli
- Choppell
- Shapal
- Shappell
- Chapelhow
- Chapleo
- Chappe
- Chappek
- Chappelear
- Chappelon
- Chapper
- Chappet
- Choppel
- Shaples
- Shepples
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Chappell in...
Braille
⠉⠓⠁⠏⠏⠑⠇⠇
Morse
-.-......-.--..--...-...-..
Semaphore
There are approximately 11,700 people named Chappell in the UK. That makes it the 782nd most common surname in Britain. Around 180 in a million people in Britain are named Chappell.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Chappell
- Julie Chappell - Diplomat and businessperson
- Dominic Chappell - Businessman and former racing driver
- Zak Chappell - Cricketer
- Les Chappell - Football player and manager
- Jimmy Chappell - Ice hockey player (1915 to 1973)
- Sydney Chappell - Welsh football player (1915 to 1)
- Roy W. Chappell - Flying ace (1896 to 1982)
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.