Clap History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Clap comes from Osgoode Clapa (d. 1054), a nobleman of Danish origin, who served King Harthacanute (1018-1042) and Edward the Confessor. Another possible origin of the surname Clap may be that it derived from the Old English word clop which meant "lump," or "hill." As such, it may have been a nickname for someone who was large or ungainly.

Early Origins of the Clap family

The surname Clap was first found in Surrey. The place name Clapham or "Clappa's farm"dates back to Anglo-Saxon times. Osgoode Clapa (d. 1054) held land in the Kingdom of East Anglia. He was listed as a witness to charters from 1026, and is mentioned the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicles."

Other early records of the name include Simon Clapp in the Curia Regis Rolls for Oxfordshire in 1206; William le Clop in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire of 1222; and Laurence Clappe listed in the Pipe Rolls for Oxfordshire in 1230. 1

Early History of the Clap family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clap research. Another 57 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1332, 1609, 1678, 1691 and 1760 are included under the topic Early Clap History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clap Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Clap were recorded, including Clapp, Clap, Clapps and others.

Early Notables of the Clap family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Roger Clapp, born April 6, 1609 in Sallcom, Devon, England, died in 1691 in America, who wrote memoirs of the trip of the "Mary & John" and the early days of the settlement in Massachusetts

Clap migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Clap family emigrate to North America:

Clap Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Roger Clap, who arrived in Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1630 2
Nicholas Clap, who landed in Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1636 2
Edward Clap, who landed in Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1636 2
Thomas Clap, who arrived in Weymouth, Massachusetts in 1638 2
Eliza Clap, who arrived in Virginia in 1648 2

Clap Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Joseph Clap, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1727 aboard the ship "James Goodwill" 2
Jurgh Clap, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1727 aboard the ship "James Goodwill" 2
Ludowigh Clap, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1727 aboard the ship "James Goodwill" 2

Clap migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Clap Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Lucy Clap, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1757
Maria Clap, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1757

Contemporary Notables of the name Clap (post 1700) +

Rev. Thomas Clap (1703-1767), American fifth rector and first president of Yale University (also spelled Thomas Clapp)

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)