Apple History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The distinguished surname Apple is derived from the Middle English "appel," meaning "apple." The name may have been originally borne by a grower or seller of apples, or by someone living near an apple tree. Alternatively, the name may have been first bestowed as a nickname on someone with bright red cheeks.
Early Origins of the Apple family
The surname Apple was first found in various counties and shires during the reign of King Edward III, between 1327 and 1377. The first known bearer of the name was Nicholas Appelman, who was listed in the Close Rolls (1204-1227)
Early History of the Apple family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Apple research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Apple History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Apple Spelling Variations
Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Apple, Appel, Appleman, Appelman and others.
Early Notables of the Apple family
More information is included under the topic Early Apple Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Apple Ranking
In the United States, the name Apple is the 4,537th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1
Apple migration to the United States +
Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Apple name or one of its variants:
Apple Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Andrew Apple, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1737 2
- Wilhelm Apple, aged 29, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1743 2
- Peter Apple, who arrived in Maryland in 1749 2
- Martin Apple, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1761 2
- Adam Apple, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1761 2
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Apple Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Valentin Apple, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1800 2
- Nicholas Apple, who landed in Somerset County, Pennsylvania in 1846 2
- W Apple, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 2
- Joseph Apple, who landed in Arkansas in 1872 2
- Jake Apple, who landed in Arkansas in 1886 2
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Apple migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Apple Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
- Mr. Christ'n Apple, U.E., United Empire Loyalist, who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on October 26, 1783 was passenger number 41 on board the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on September 20, 1783 at East River, New York 3
Contemporary Notables of the name Apple (post 1700) +
- Zachary Apple (b. 1997), American professional swimmer, who won an Olympic gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics, winner of three medals in the 2019 World Aquatics Championships (2 gold, 1 bronze)
- Raymond "Johnny" Walter Apple Jr., (1934-2006), American associate editor at The New York Times
- FIona Apple McAfee Maggart (b. 1977), American Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter and pianist
- Corporal Andrew O. Apple, American soldier, recipient of the Medal of Honor April 2nd, 1865
- Raymond Apple AO, RFD, (1935-2024), Australian rabbi who worked in England and Australia and retired to Israel
- Billy Apple ONZM (1935-2021), born Barrie Bates, a New Zealand painter and sculptor, whose work is associated with the New York and British schools of pop art in the 1960
- Rabbi Raymond Apple (1935-1972), Australian Senior Rabbi of the Great Synagogue of Sydney between 1972 and 2005
Historic Events for the Apple family +
USS Arizona
- Mr. Robert William Apple, American Fireman First Class from Illinois, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 4
Citations +
- "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)
- Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
- Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html