Chapin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Chapin comes from when its first bearer worked as a chaplain, the minister of a sanctuary or church. The name is derived from the Latin word capellanus 1

Early Origins of the Chapin family

The surname Chapin was first found in Hampshire where the oldest record of the name was Albert Chapelain, who was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a tenant in chief and the king's chaplain. 1

Early History of the Chapin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chapin research. Another 196 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1559, 1591, 1598, 1634, 1659, 1660, 1672, 1675, 1677 and 1696 are included under the topic Early Chapin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chapin Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Chapin include Chaplin, Chaplins, Chapline, Chaplyn, Cheplain, Chaplain, Chaiplin, Caplin, Caplines, Keplaine and many more.

Early Notables of the Chapin family

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

Chapin Ranking

In the United States, the name Chapin is the 3,316^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 2 However, in France, the name Chapin is ranked the 6,358^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 3

Chapin migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Chapin or a variant listed above:

Chapin Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Samuel Chapin, who arrived in Braintree, Massachusetts in 1641 4
Josiah Chapin, who landed in Weymouth, Massachusetts in 1659 4
Henry Chapin, who landed in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1689 4

Chapin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

J S Chapin, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 4
E N Chapin, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 4
J Chapin, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 4
J N Chapin, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 4
Chapin, aged 56, who immigrated to the United States from Liverpool, in 1892
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Chapin Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Augusta Chapin, who settled in America, in 1905
Belle Chapin, aged 38, who landed in America, in 1905
Annette M. Chapin, who landed in America, in 1908
Arthur Chapin, aged 37, who immigrated to the United States, in 1908
Arthur B. Chapin, aged 40, who landed in America, in 1909
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Chapin migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Chapin Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Samuel Chapin, who landed in Canada in 1834

Contemporary Notables of the name Chapin (post 1700) +

Roy Dikeman Chapin Sr. (1880-1936), American industrialist and cofounder of Hudson Motor Company, the predecessor of American Motors, 6th United States Secretary of Commerce (1932-1933)
Michael Chapin (b. 1936), American child actor in film and television
Lauren Chapin (b. 1945), American five-time Junior Emmy Award winning child actress, best known for her role as the youngest child "Kathy Anderson" (nicknamed "Kitten") in the television show Father Knows Best
William McClellan "Billy" Chapin (1943-2016), American child actor, best remembered for both his role as the “diaper manager” Christie Cooper in the 1953 family feature The Kid from Left Field, brother of Lauren Chapin and Michael Chapin
John R. Chapin, American artist and illustrator
Mary W. Chapin (1820-1899), American educator and college president
Miles Chapin (b. 1954), American actor
Samuel Chapin (1598-1675), American founder of Springfield, Massachusetts
Tom Chapin (b. 1945), American musician
Frederick H. Chapin (1852-1900), American businessman, mountaineer, photographer, amateur geologist
... (Another 82 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

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/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)