CLAPP
The surname Clapp is of English origin, tracing back to Anglo-Saxon England. It is derived from the Old English word clæppa, meaning a lump or a hill. The name originally functioned as a topographic designation for individuals dwelling near a pronounced hill or mound within the British Isles.
Records of the name appear as early as the turn of the second millennium. In the Curia Regis Rolls of Oxfordshire (1206) a Simon Clapp is documented, and in Oxford (1230) the name occurs as Laurence Clappe. Further variants such as Clapson, Clapston, Clappson, Clapison and Clappison are found in subsequent centuries, reflecting the fluidity of spelling in medieval England.
It has been noted that the surname may also have roots in the Viking term Clapa or the English word clop, both meaning a hill. This etymology is consistent with place‑names such as Clopton and Clapton, which describe farms or hamlets situated on a hill. The first recorded contemporary spelling is that of Edward Clapston, who was a christening witness at the Church of St. Benet Fink, London, on 1 April 1663, during the reign of King Charles XI.
In heraldic tradition the Clapp family bear an arms blazoned with a gold field charged with a black lion rampant between three green leaves. This imagery has been associated with the surname in various family histories.
In more recent times the surname has spread beyond England, with a large concentration found in the United States, particularly in North Carolina and New England. It remains most common in the South West region of England, where the name appeared to originate, and is also recorded in Canada and Australia. Variants such as Clap, Clapper and Clappier have sometimes been used, though care is required not to conflate unrelated surnames that share phonetic similarity.
Typical given names associated with the Clapp surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Jane
- Kathleen
- Louise
- Margaret
- Patricia
- Rachel
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Clapp in...
Braille
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Morse
-.-..-...-.--..--.
Semaphore
There are approximately 1,599 people named Clapp in the UK. That makes it roughly the 5,087th most common surname in Britain. Around 25 in a million people in Britain are named Clapp.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Clapp
- Philip John Clapp - American daredevil, actor, comedian, screenwriter and film producer
- Tom Clapp - Rugby union player (1858 to 1933)
- Bob Clapp - Cricketer
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.