Kapp History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Scotland

Kapp is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Kapp family lived in Lincolnshire. They were descended from Le Cappere of Ayncourt, in the bailiwick of Caux, Normandy. 1

Alternatively, the name could have been derived from an occupation as in 'the capper,' a maker or dealer in caps probably made of woollen cloth, though felt was used. 2 3

In the Feet of Fines the following was noted: "in the York Pageant amongst other crafts marched the 'cap-makers'; in the Chester Pageant the 'Cappers, Wyerdrawers, and Pynners'; in the Norwich Pageant the 'cappers, hatters'. "

Early Origins of the Kapp family

The surname Kapp was first found in Lincolnshire where they were granted lands by William the Conqueror, their liege Lord, for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. They were descended from Le Cappere of Ayncourt, in the bailiwick of Caux, and became Tenants in Chief in Lincolnshire, Northampton, and Cheshire. They assumed the name of Ballivia Domini Gaufridi de Capella.

The Hundredorum Rolls of 11273 listed: Symon le Cappere, Oxfordshire; John le Capiere, Oxfordshire; and Thomas le Capiere, Oxfordshire. 2

Early History of the Kapp family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kapp research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kapp History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kapp Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Cappe, Capper, Cappar, Capps, Caps, Caper and others.

Early Notables of the Kapp family

More information is 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. 4

Kapp migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Kapp or a variant listed above:

Kapp Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Bernhard Kapp, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1741 5
Michael Kapp, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1750 5
Martin Kapp, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1751 5
Eva Margaretta Kapp, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1751 5
Georg Bernhart Kapp, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1752 5
... (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 5
George John Kapp, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1848 5
Johannes Kapp, who arrived in America in 1865 5
Barbara Kapp, aged 20, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1875 5
... (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 6
John Kapp, American Democratic Party politician, Physician; Mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1880-83, 1885-86 6
Gisbert Johann Eduard Kapp (1852-1922), Austrian-born English electrical engineer who was awarded the Telford Medal in 1885
Artur Kapp (1878-1952), Estonian composer
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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