Chaps History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

Etymology of Chaps

What does the name Chaps mean?

The annals of Scottish history reveal that Chaps was first used as a name by ancestors of the Pictish tribe of ancient Scotland. The Chaps family lived in Stirling (now part of the modern region of Central), where the name can be found since very early times.

Early Origins of the Chaps family

The surname Chaps was first found in Stirlingshire, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Chaps family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chaps research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the year 1713 is included under the topic Early Chaps History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chaps Spelling Variations

Before the first dictionaries appeared in the last few hundred years, scribes spelled according to sound. spelling variations are common among Scottish names. Chaps has been spelled Cheap, Cheaps, Cheape, Chaip, Chaipe and others.

Early Notables of the Chaps family

More information is included under the topic Early Chaps Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chaps migration to the United States +

In those unstable times, many had no choice but to leave their beloved homelands. Sickness and poverty hounded travelers to North America, but those who made it were welcomed with land and opportunity. These settlers gave the young nations of Canada and the United States a strong backbone as they stood up for their beliefs as United Empire Loyalists and in the American War of Independence. In this century, the ancestors of these brave Scots have begun to recover their illustrious heritage through Clan societies and other heritage organizations. Early passenger and immigration lists reveal many Scottish settlers bearing the name Chaps:

Chaps Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Jose Chaps, who arrived in Texas in 1911 1

The Chaps Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Ditat virtus
Motto Translation: Virtue enriches.

Sources +

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)