Clapps History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Clapps is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from Osgoode Clapa (d. 1054), a nobleman of Danish origin, who served King Harthacanute (1018-1042) and Edward the Confessor. Another possible origin of the surname Clapps may be that it derived from the Old English word clop which meant "lump," or "hill." As such, it may have been a nickname for someone who was large or ungainly.

Early Origins of the Clapps family

The surname Clapps was first found in Surrey. The place name Clapham or "Clappa's farm"dates back to Anglo-Saxon times. Osgoode Clapa (d. 1054) held land in the Kingdom of East Anglia. He was listed as a witness to charters from 1026, and is mentioned the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicles."

Other early records of the name include Simon Clapp in the Curia Regis Rolls for Oxfordshire in 1206; William le Clop in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire of 1222; and Laurence Clappe listed in the Pipe Rolls for Oxfordshire in 1230. 1

Early History of the Clapps family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clapps research. Another 57 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1332, 1609, 1678, 1691 and 1760 are included under the topic Early Clapps History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clapps Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Clapps include Clapp, Clap, Clapps and others.

Early Notables of the Clapps family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Roger Clapp, born April 6, 1609 in Sallcom, Devon, England, died in 1691 in America, who wrote memoirs of the trip of the "Mary...
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Clapps Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clapps migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Clapps Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thom Clapps, who arrived in Virginia in 1651 2

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)