Show ContentsApthorp History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The family name Apthorp is thought to be originally taken from the place named Apethorpe, in Northamptonshire.

Early Origins of the Apthorp family

The surname Apthorp was first found in Northumberland, where they held a family seat on the English/Scottish border. After the Norman Conquest of England many of Duke William's rebellious Barons moved north. The border became a convenient but turbulent no-man's land where the persecuted Many were given land by King Malcolm Canmore and later by King David of Scotland. Some were native Scots. In the 16th century they became known as the 'unruly clans'. The name was first recorded in England when Thomas Abetrop held estates in 1180 in that county.

Early History of the Apthorp family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Apthorp research. Another 54 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1197 and 1202 are included under the topic Early Apthorp History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Apthorp Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Apthorp, Apthorpe, Appthorpe, Appthorp, Habthorp, Habthorp, Habbthorp, Apethorp, Apethorpe, Habethorp, Apthrop, Apthropp and many more.

Early Notables of the Apthorp family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

  • the Apthorp family of Cheshire


United States Apthorp migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Apthorp Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • East Apthorp, who settled in Boston in 1713
  • East Apthorp, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1713 [1]
  • John Apthorp, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1713 [1]
  • James Apthorp, who arrived at Boston in 1767
  • Charles Apthorp, who arrived in Boston in 1784

Contemporary Notables of the name Apthorp (post 1700) +

  • William Foster Apthorp (1848-1913), American music professor and critic
  • Charles Apthorp (1698-1758), English-born, American merchant and slave trader, the richest man in Boston at that time
  • John Apthorp, British businessman specializing in frozen food and alcoholic beverages, founder of Wizzard Wines (now Majestic Wines) a chain of off-licences


  1. 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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