Show ContentsCaple History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Caple is one of the names that was brought to England in the wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Caple family lived in Herefordshire. The name refers to the family's former residence in La Chapelle, Normandy.

Early Origins of the Caple family

The surname Caple was first found in Herefordshire where another source claims that name was derived from "the ancestor of Lord Albemarle [who] was Arnord-Joost van Keppel, lord of Voerst, a descendant of one of the most ancient houses in Guerlderland, [Holland] who accompanied King WIlliam III to England in 1688, and was by him advanced to the title still enjoyed by the family. According to 'Folks of Shields,' the name is equivalent to De Capella." [1]

Early History of the Caple family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Caple research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1496, 1503, 1511, 1515, 1585, 1586, 1608, 1631, 1638, 1649, 1656, 1658, 1683, 1696, 1697, 1722, 1739 and 1743 are included under the topic Early Caple History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Caple Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Caple family name include Capel, Capell, Caple, Cappel, Keppel and others.

Early Notables of the Caple family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was William Capel (d. 1515), Sheriff of the City of London (1496), and Lord Mayor of London (1503), Member of Parliament for the City of London (1511-1515), his mansion stood on the current site of the London Stock Exchange, eponym of No. 3 Capel Court; Sir Henry Capell, of Rayne Hall, Essex; Louis Cappel (1585-1658), a French Protestant churchman and scholar; Richard Capel (1586-1656), an English nonconforming clergyman of Calvinist views, member of the Westminster Assembly, and for a period of his life...
Another 90 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Caple Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Caple Ranking

In the United States, the name Caple is the 12,087th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [2]

Ireland Migration of the Caple family to Ireland

Some of the Caple family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Caple migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Caple family to immigrate North America:

Caple Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Henry Caple, who landed in Virginia in 1662 [3]
  • William Caple, who arrived in Virginia in 1662 [3]

Contemporary Notables of the name Caple (post 1700) +

  • Jim Caple (1962-2023), American columnist and senior writer for ESPN.com. He worked previously with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and the St. Paul Pioneer Press


The Caple 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: Fide et fortitudine
Motto Translation: By fidelity and fortitude.


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. 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)


Houseofnames.com on Facebook