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![Show Contents]() Claptan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The generations and branches of the Claptan family share a name that has its roots in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. The name Claptan comes from Osgoode Clapa a nobleman of Danish or Saxon origin. As a man of noble worth he attended the Court of King Cnut. Another possible origin of the surname Claptan may be an extension of the Old English Clop which meant lump. It was often applied as a nickname to someone who was large and ungainly. It was adopted in England as a surname only after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Early Origins of the Claptan familyThe surname Claptan was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat. The name is claimed to be descended from a Danish noble who attended the court of King Canute, Osgod Clappa. Although the name was found in the late 13th century in Oxford, the Cheshire dating places Turstan de Cloptuna there in the year 1154, and succeeded by Alan de Clapeton in 1185. In its migration south, the name seems to have been transformed into Clopton, which gave rise to the village of Clopton in Suffolk, which became the family seat. There is much historic interchangeability between the records of the two spellings. The church in the village of Long Melford, Suffolk "contains many interesting monuments, among which are, one to William de Clopton, dated 1446; one to John de Clopton in 1497 and numerous brasses to the families of Clopton." 1 Early History of the Claptan familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Claptan research. Another 173 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1359, 1366, 1388, 1389, 1400, 1412, 1440, 1441, 1450, 1455, 1474, 1483, 1487, 1491, 1496, 1497, 1501, 1614, 1662 and 1733 are included under the topic Early Claptan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Claptan Spelling VariationsUntil quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Claptan include Clapton, Clappton, Clopton, Clapeton, Cloptun, Cloptone, Clotton, Clapperton and many more. Early Notables of the Claptan familyDistinguished members of the family include Walter de Clopton (d. 1412?), an English judge, the fourth son of Sir William de Clopton of Newnham Manor, Ashdon, Essex. "The seat of the family was Suffolk, and Sir William de Clopton appears as commissioner of array for that county in 1359. Having, however, purchased Newnham Manor in the following year, he permanently established himself there, and it remained in his posterity for some generations. For some reason, which the writ does not disclose, he and his sons Walter and Edmund were enjoined in 1366 not to leave the country on pain of forfeiture...
Another 117 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Claptan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Claptan familySearching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Claptan or a variant listed above: William Clopton, who settled in Virginia in 1698; John Clapton, a bonded passenger who arrived in Maryland in 1737; Robt. Clapton, who arrived at the port of New York in 1830.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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