Show ContentsAplewhait History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the name Aplewhait date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Aplewhait family lived in the township of Applethwaite, which was in the parish of Windermere in Westmorland (now part of Cumbria). There were also places with this name in Cumberland and in Suffolk, where the first instances of the surname Aplewhait were found. In Old English, applethwaite meant an apple orchard or an area of land cleared for growing apples. 1 2

Early Origins of the Aplewhait family

The surname Aplewhait was first found in the county of Suffolk in south eastern England. One of the first records of the family was Stephen Appeltheit who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1327. Later Robert Apylweyte was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1524. 3

Early History of the Aplewhait family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Aplewhait research. Another 140 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1629, 1630, 1646, 1660, 1668, 1674, 1678 and 1906 are included under the topic Early Aplewhait History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Aplewhait Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Aplewhait are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Aplewhait include: Applethwaite, Applewhite, Applewaite, Applewait, Apelwhite, Eppelwhite, Epplethwaite and many more.

Early Notables of the Aplewhait family

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

Migration of the Aplewhait family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Aplewhait or a variant listed above: Henry Apllewhate who arrived in Virginia in 1713; Thomas Applewhite who arrived in Maryland in 1676; Henry Applewhaite who arrived in Virginia in 1670.



  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


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