Claps History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Claps comes from Osgoode Clapa (d. 1054), a nobleman of Danish origin, who served King Harthacanute (1018-1042) and Edward the Confessor. Another possible origin of the surname Claps may be that it derived from the Old English word clop which meant "lump," or "hill." As such, it may have been a nickname for someone who was large or ungainly.

Early Origins of the Claps family

The surname Claps was first found in Surrey. The place name Clapham or "Clappa's farm"dates back to Anglo-Saxon times. Osgoode Clapa (d. 1054) held land in the Kingdom of East Anglia. He was listed as a witness to charters from 1026, and is mentioned the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicles."

Other early records of the name include Simon Clapp in the Curia Regis Rolls for Oxfordshire in 1206; William le Clop in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire of 1222; and Laurence Clappe listed in the Pipe Rolls for Oxfordshire in 1230. 1

Early History of the Claps family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Claps research. Another 57 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1332, 1609, 1678, 1691 and 1760 are included under the topic Early Claps History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Claps Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Claps were recorded, including Clapp, Clap, Clapps and others.

Early Notables of the Claps family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Roger Clapp, born April 6, 1609 in Sallcom, Devon, England, died in 1691 in America, who wrote memoirs of the trip of the "Mary...
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Claps Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Claps migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Claps family emigrate to North America:

Claps Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George Claps, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1856 2

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)