Capehart History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Capehart is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Capehart family lived in Lincolnshire. They were descended from Le Cappere of Ayncourt, in the bailiwick of Caux, Normandy. 1

Alternatively, the name could have been derived from an occupation as in 'the capper,' a maker or dealer in caps probably made of woollen cloth, though felt was used. 2 3

In the Feet of Fines the following was noted: "in the York Pageant amongst other crafts marched the 'cap-makers'; in the Chester Pageant the 'Cappers, Wyerdrawers, and Pynners'; in the Norwich Pageant the 'cappers, hatters'. "

Early Origins of the Capehart family

The surname Capehart was first found in Lincolnshire where they were granted lands by William the Conqueror, their liege Lord, for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. They were descended from Le Cappere of Ayncourt, in the bailiwick of Caux, and became Tenants in Chief in Lincolnshire, Northampton, and Cheshire. They assumed the name of Ballivia Domini Gaufridi de Capella.

The Hundredorum Rolls of 11273 listed: Symon le Cappere, Oxfordshire; John le Capiere, Oxfordshire; and Thomas le Capiere, Oxfordshire. 2

Early History of the Capehart family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Capehart research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Capehart History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Capehart Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Capehart are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Capehart include Cappe, Capper, Cappar, Capps, Caps, Caper and others.

Early Notables of the Capehart family

More information is included under the topic Early Capehart Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Capehart Ranking

In the United States, the name Capehart is the 12,877^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Capehart migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Capehart, or a variant listed above:

Capehart Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

G Capehart, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Capehart (post 1700) +

Homer Earl Capehart (1897-1979), American business innovator and politician, United States Senator from Indiana (1945-1963)
Jonathan Capehart, American Pulitzer Prize winning (Best Editorial Writing 1999) journalist for The Washington Post and television personality
Edward Capehart O'Kelley (1858-1904), American gunman and outlaw who murdered Robert Ford, who had killed Jesse James

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)