Show ContentsKappel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished surname Kappel comes from Austria, and is of two possible origins. Firstly, the name is derived from the Austrian term "Chaepplingaern," meaning "people living next to a chapel." Alternatively, the name may be derived from the place name "Caplendorf," the name of an Austrian village. Either of these origins would indicate the place of residence of the original bearer.

Early Origins of the Kappel family

The surname Kappel was first found in Austria, where it first emerged in the early Middle Ages. The first known bearer of the name was one known as bi der Chappel ("near the chapel",) who lived in Regensburg in 1272. The young Kappel family was instrumental during this early period, playing a major role in the development of medieval Austrian society.

Early History of the Kappel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kappel research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1487, 1685, 1733, 1769, 1792 and 1871 are included under the topic Early Kappel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kappel Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Kappel, Kappelmann, Kappler, Käppel and many more.

Early Notables of the Kappel family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Kappel were

  • Moriz Anton Kappeler (1685-1769), a doctor
  • Joseph-Damien Kappeler (1792-1871), a Swiss painter

Kappel Ranking

In the United States, the name Kappel is the 13,031st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]


United States Kappel migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Kappel Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Adam Kappel, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1743 [2]
  • Geo Kappel, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 [2]
Kappel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Kappel, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1806 [2]
  • Josef Kappel, who arrived in Texas in 1844 [2]
  • Joseph Kappel, who landed in America in 1851 [2]
  • Valentine Kappel, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1852 [2]

Contemporary Notables of the name Kappel (post 1700) +

  • Frederick Kappel (1902-1994), American businessman, Chairman of AT&T from 1961 to 1972, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
  • Joseph "Joe" Kappel (1857-1929), American Major League Baseball outfielder who played from 1884 to 1890
  • Hugh Kappel (1910-1982), American artist
  • Henry "Heinie" Kappel (1863-1905), American Major League Baseball infielder who played from 1887 to 1889
  • Vladimir Oskarovich Kappel (1883-1920), White Russian military leader
  • Hubert Käppel (b. 1951), German classical guitarist
  • Leandro Kappel (b. 1989), Dutch professional footballer


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)


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