Contents [hide]

Maple History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Maple History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Maple family

The surname Maple was first found in Essex, where the first record found was that of Robert atte Mapele who was listed here in the Assize Rolls of 1285. Later John Mapel was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls for Cambridgeshire in 1327 and John del Mapples was found in Sheffield in 1348. 1

The name Maple, like many surnames, was derived from a topographical feature of the family's dwelling place. In this case, it is likely the family lived near a group of maple trees. Another, somewhat less likely possibility is that the family took their name from their house sign; in early times, many houses and buildings were marked with a sign; it is possible that the family resided in a house marked with a sign bearing a maple tree. 2 3

Another source claims the name is from "Mepal; a location name in Cambridgeshire." 4 This parish, in the hundred of South Witchford, union and Isle of Ely 5 has a very different etymology. It dates back to the 12th century when it was known as Mepahala and literally meant "nook of land of a man called Meapa," from the Old English personal name + "ham." 6 The aforementioned Cambridgeshire rolls entry in 1327 with the spelling of "Mapel" may be related.

Early History of the Maple family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Maple research. Another 53 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1285, 1327, 1348, 1635 and 1655 are included under the topic Early Maple History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maple Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Maples, Mapel, Mapples, Maiples, Marples, Mapele and many more.

Early Notables of the Maple family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Sir Thomas Maples, 1st Baronet of Stow, in the County of Huntingdon (died 1635)

Maple Ranking

In the United States, the name Maple is the 4,748^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 7

Maple migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Maple Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Maple, who arrived in Virginia in 1652 8
Tho Maple, who landed in Virginia in 1657 8

Maple migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Maple Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Thomas Maple, aged 36, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Shackamaxon" 9
James Maple, aged 26, a shepherd, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Punjab"

Maple migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 10

Maple Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Benjamin Maple, aged 21, who arrived in Barbados in 1684 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Maple (post 1700) +

Jessie Maple (1937-2023), American cinematographer and film director, a pioneer for the civil rights of African-Americans and women in the film industry
Samuel A. Maple (1953-2001), American jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing with over 2,500 career wins, younger brother of Eddie Maple
Jack Maple (1952-2001), American police officer in New York City, Deputy Police Commissioner for Crime Control Strategies, coauthored the book The Crime Fighter, and inspired the television series The District
Howard Albert "Mape" Maple (1903-1970), American NFL player for the Chicago Cardinals in 1930 and a Major League Baseball catcher for the Washington Senators in 1932
Edward "Eddie" Maple (b. 1948), American retired horse racing jockey who had 4,398 career wins, awarded the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 1995 and the Mike Venezia Memorial Award in 1998, inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 2009
Irma M. Maple (d. 1969), American Democratic Party politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Brooke County, 1969; Died in office 1969 11
Sir John Blundell Maple (1845-1903), English business magnate, Member of Parliament, made 1st Baronet Maple in 1892

The Maple Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Non vi sed virtute
Motto Translation: By force and prudence.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
"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)
South Australian Register Thursday 20 January 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SHACKAMAXON 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/shackamaxon1853.shtml
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html