Kapp History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Scotland
Ireland

The ancient Dalriadan clans of Scotland spawned the name Kapp. It is derived from the son of the blond one, or son of Alpin.

Early Origins of the Kapp family

The surname Kapp was first found in Argyllshire (Gaelic erra Ghaidheal), the region of western Scotland corresponding roughly with the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata, in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Argyll and Bute, where they were descended from King Kenneth MacAlpin who was murdered by the Picts near Dundee in the year 834. MacAlpin is generally considered to have been the first king to rule both Scots and Picts, and as such, was the first king of Scotland.

Further to the south, the variant Alby hailed from Alby, a parish, in the union of Aylsham, hundred of South Erpingham, E. division of Norfolk. "This place, which was anciently called Oslby, is intersected by the road from Aylsham to Cromer, and includes the hamlets of Alby Common and Alby Hill." 1

Early History of the Kapp family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kapp research. Another 193 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1395, 1405, 1531, 1557, 1658, 1692 and 1725 are included under the topic Early Kapp History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kapp Spelling Variations

In the Middle Ages, the translation between Gaelic and English was not a highly developed process. Spelling was not yet standardized, and so, an enormous number of spelling variations appear in records of early Scottish names. Kapp has appeared as MacAlpine, MacAlpin, MacAilpein (Gaelic) and others.

Early Notables of the Kapp family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was Sir John MacAlpin; John MacAlpine (Latin: Maccabeus) (died 1557), a Scottish Protestant theologian; and Joseph Capen (1658-1725), a Massachusetts clergyman who during...
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kapp Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kapp Ranking

In the United States, the name Kapp is the 6,914^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Kapp family to Ireland

Some of the Kapp family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kapp migration to the United States +

Many settled along the east coast of what would become the United States and Canada. As the American War of Independence broke out, those who remained loyal to the crown went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these hardy Dalriadan-Scottish settlers began to recover their collective history in the 20th century with the advent of the vibrant culture fostered by highland games and Clan societies in North America. Highland games, clan societies, and other organizations generated much renewed interest in Scottish heritage in the 20th century. The Kapp were among the earliest of the Scottish settlers as immigration passenger lists have shown:

Kapp Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Bernhard Kapp, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1741 3
Michael Kapp, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1750 3
Martin Kapp, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1751 3
Eva Margaretta Kapp, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1751 3
Georg Bernhart Kapp, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1752 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Kapp Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. W. Kapp, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Andacia"
Valentine Kapp, aged 37, who landed in New York, N Y in 1847 3
George John Kapp, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1848 3
Johannes Kapp, who arrived in America in 1865 3
Barbara Kapp, aged 20, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1875 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Kapp (post 1700) +

Joseph Robert Kapp (1938-2023), American and Canadian football quarterback, inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
Jack Kapp (1901-1949), American record company executive with Brunswick Records who founded the Decca Records in 1934
Alex Kapp (b. 1969), birth name of Alex Kapp Horner, an American actress, best known for her roles as Lindsay on the CBS sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine
Friedrich Kapp (1824-1884), German-American lawyer, writer, and politician
Karl William Kapp (1910-1976), German-American economist and professor of economics at the University of the City of New York
Ardeth Greene Kapp (b. 1931), American 9th general president of the Young Women Organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1984-1992)
John W. Kapp Jr., American politician, Mayor of Springfield, Illinois, 1935-45 4
John Kapp, American Democratic Party politician, Physician; Mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1880-83, 1885-86 4
Artur Kapp (1878-1952), Estonian composer
Marizanne Kapp (b. 1990), South African international cricketer
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html