Show ContentsChappelle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Chappelle is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived near the chapel, The surname Chappelle is a topographic surname, which is a type of surname that was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. In this case the Chappelle family were dwellers by the churchyard. 1 2 3

Early Origins of the Chappelle family

The surname Chappelle was first found in various counties and shires throughout Britain. The earliest record of the family appears to be John Chapel who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1202. 4 Later the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Hugh de la Chapele in Nottinghamshire. 1

During the reign of Edward I., Thomas de la Chapele was listed in Northumberland and John atte Chapele was listed in Somerset. 5 William a la Chapele was listed in the Feet of Fines Rolls about the same time. Richard de la Chapele was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296. 4 The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Johannes del Chapell. 1

Further to the north in Scotland, the name has the same origin, but early records there show the name as more of an occupational name from "the office of usher of the king's chapel, that is, Chancery, was hereditary in a family called from the office de Capella, and was attached to a third part of the lands of Craigmillar. In 1328 there is entry of wages of the boys of William de Capella. John de Capella possessed Craigmillar after the Craigmillars, and in 1374 the lands were purchased from them again by Sir Simon Preston. Little is known of this John de Capella. " 6

Early History of the Chappelle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chappelle research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1374, 1569, 1579, 1582, 1588, 1649, 1677, 1728, 1729, 1737, 1745, 1746, 1775, 1795, 1812, 1826, 1830, 1834, 1838, 1840 and 1855 are included under the topic Early Chappelle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chappelle Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Chappelle has been spelled many different ways, including Chapel, Chappell, Chappel, Chappelle, Chapele, Chapell, Chapple and many more.

Early Notables of the Chappelle family

Distinguished members of the family include William Chappell (1582-1649), English divine, Bishop of Cork, the son of Robert Chappell, and born at Laxton, Nottinghamshire, on 10 Dec. 1582. 7William Chapple (1677-1745), English judge, was one of the Chapples of Waybay House, Dorsetshire. "About 1728 he was appointed a judge on the North Wales circuit, and in 1729...
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Chappelle Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chappelle Ranking

In the United States, the name Chappelle is the 15,237th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 8

Ireland Migration of the Chappelle family to Ireland

Some of the Chappelle family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Chappelle migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Chappelles to arrive in North America:

Chappelle Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Jeremie Chappelle, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1753 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Chappelle (post 1700) +

  • Julius C. Chappelle, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Massachusetts, 1888 10


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
  6. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  7. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  8. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  9. 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)
  10. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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