Show ContentsChappel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient roots of the Chappel family name are in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Chappel comes from when the family lived near the chapel, The surname Chappel is a topographic surname, which is a type of surname that was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. In this case the Chappel family were dwellers by the churchyard. [1] [2] [3]

Early Origins of the Chappel family

The surname Chappel was first found in various counties and shires throughout Britain. The earliest record of the family appears to be John Chapel who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1202. [4] Later the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Hugh de la Chapele in Nottinghamshire. [1]

During the reign of Edward I., Thomas de la Chapele was listed in Northumberland and John atte Chapele was listed in Somerset. [5] William a la Chapele was listed in the Feet of Fines Rolls about the same time. Richard de la Chapele was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296. [4] The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Johannes del Chapell. [1]

Further to the north in Scotland, the name has the same origin, but early records there show the name as more of an occupational name from "the office of usher of the king's chapel, that is, Chancery, was hereditary in a family called from the office de Capella, and was attached to a third part of the lands of Craigmillar. In 1328 there is entry of wages of the boys of William de Capella. John de Capella possessed Craigmillar after the Craigmillars, and in 1374 the lands were purchased from them again by Sir Simon Preston. Little is known of this John de Capella. " [6]

Early History of the Chappel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chappel research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1374, 1569, 1579, 1582, 1588, 1649, 1677, 1728, 1729, 1737, 1745, 1746, 1775, 1795, 1812, 1826, 1830, 1834, 1838, 1840 and 1855 are included under the topic Early Chappel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chappel Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Chappel has appeared include Chapel, Chappell, Chappel, Chappelle, Chapele, Chapell, Chapple and many more.

Early Notables of the Chappel family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • William Chappell (1582-1649), English divine, Bishop of Cork, the son of Robert Chappell, and born at Laxton, Nottinghamshire, on 10 Dec. 1582. [7]

Chappel Ranking

In the United States, the name Chappel is the 10,794th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [8]

Ireland Migration of the Chappel family to Ireland

Some of the Chappel family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Chappel migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Chappel arrived in North America very early:

Chappel Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Jeremias Chappel, aged 25, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 [9]
  • William Chappel, who settled in New England in 1764
Chappel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • G D Chappel, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 [9]
  • B B Chappel, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 [9]
  • G Chappel, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 [9]
  • I P Chappel, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 [9]
  • Sarah Chappel, aged 58, who landed in New York in 1854 [9]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Chappel Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mr. Sydney Chappel, (b. 1881), aged 22, American miner travelling aboard the ship "Carpathia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 25th September 1903 en route to Arizona, USA [10]
  • Mr. William Chappel, (b. 1883), aged 22, American mason travelling aboard the ship "St Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 7th October 1905 en route to the United States [10]

Canada Chappel migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Chappel Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • William Chappel, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Hiram Chappel, who landed in Quebec in 1784

Australia Chappel migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Chappel Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. George Chappel, English butcher who was convicted in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England for life for stealing, transported aboard the "David Lyon" on 29th April 1830, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1849 [11]
  • Mr. Thomas Chappel, British convict who was convicted in Gloucester, England for life, transported aboard the "Henry Tanner" on 27th June 1834, settling in New South Wales, Australia [12]
  • Mr. James Chappel, (b. 1821), aged 22, English labourer who was convicted in Knutsford (Nether Knutsford), Cheshire, England for 7 years for larceny transported aboard the "Forfarshire" on 24th June 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1894 [13]
  • William Chappel, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Phoebe" in 1846 [14]
  • Charles Chappel, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "David Malcolm" in 1847 [15]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Chappel migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Chappel Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. Mary A. Chappel, (b. 1853), aged 21, Cornish settler departing on 7th May 1874 aboard the ship "Eastern Monarch" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 22nd July 1874 [16]
  • Mr. Thomas Chappel, (b. 1847), aged 27, Cornish farm labourer departing on 7th May 1874 aboard the ship "Eastern Monarch" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 22nd July 1874 [16]
  • Mary J. Chappel, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Blairgowrie" in 1875
  • Ms. Mary I. Chappel, (b. 1850), aged 25, Cornish cook departing on 29th April 1875 aboard the ship "Blairgowrie" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 22nd August 1875 [16]

Contemporary Notables of the name Chappel (post 1700) +

  • Chief Warrant Officer R. L. Chappel, United States Marine Corps motion picture officer, eponym of Chappel Island, Antarctica
  • Alonzo Chappel (1828-1887), American painter, best known for depictions of the American Revolution
  • William Chappel, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Wisconsin State Senate, 1858-59 [17]
  • Marie Chappel, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Indiana, 1932 [17]
  • Ezra Chappel, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from New London, 1828 [17]
  • Doug Chappel, contemporary Australian comedian
  • Tony Chappel (b. 1960), former Welsh professional snooker player from Pontarddulais, Swansea
  • Richard Chappel Parsons (1826-1899), American Republican politician, Member of Ohio State House of Representatives from Cuyahoga County, 1858-61; U.S. Representative from Ohio 20th District, 1873-75 [18]


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
  6. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  7. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  8. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  9. 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)
  10. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd June 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/david-lyon
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/henry-tanner
  13. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/forfarshire
  14. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) PHEOBE/PHOEBE 1845. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1846Phoebe.htm
  15. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) DAVID MALCOLM 1847. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1847DavidMalcolm.htm
  16. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Lyttelton 1858-84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
  17. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  18. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook