Clapten Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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The origins of the name Clapten are with the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from Osgoode Clapa a nobleman of Danish or Saxon origin. As a man of noble worth he attended the Court of King Cnut. Another possible origin of the surname Clapten may be an extension of the Old English Clop which meant lump. It was often applied as a nickname to someone who was large and ungainly. It was adopted in England as a surname only after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

Clapten Early Origins

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The surname Clapten was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat. The name is claimed to be descended from a Danish noble who attended the court of King Canute, Osgod Clappa. Although the name was found in the late 13th century in Oxford, the Cheshire dating places Turstan de Cloptuna there in the year 1154, and succeeded by Alan de Clapeton in 1185. In its migration south, the name seems to have been transformed into Clopton, which gave rise to the village of Clopton in Suffolk, which became the family seat. There is much historic interchangeability between the records of the two spellings.

The church in the village of Long Melford, Suffolk "contains many interesting monuments, among which are, one to William de Clopton, dated 1446; one to John de Clopton in 1497 and numerous brasses to the families of Clopton." ^[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.

Clapten Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Clapten has been spelled many different ways, including Clapton, Clappton, Clopton, Clapeton, Cloptun, Cloptone, Clotton, Clapperton and many more.

Clapten Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clapten research. Another 240 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1441, 1455, 1487, 1389, 1483, 1501, 1614, 1662, 1733, 1400, 1388, 1400, 1440, 1496 and 1491 are included under the topic Early Clapten History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clapten Early Notables (pre 1700)

Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Clapten Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clapten In Ireland

Some of the Clapten family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Claptens to arrive in North America: William Clopton, who settled in Virginia in 1698; John Clapton, a bonded passenger who arrived in Maryland in 1737; Robt. Clapton, who arrived at the port of New York in 1830.

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Citations

^ Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.

Other References

Mills, A.D. Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4).
Zieber, Eugene. Heraldry in America. Philadelphia: Genealogical Publishing Co. Print.
Hinde, Thomas Ed. The Domesday Book England's Heritage Then and Now. Surrey: Colour Library Books, 1995. Print. (ISBN 1-85833-440-3).
Fairbairn. Fairbain's book of Crests of the Families of Great Britain and Ireland, 4th Edition 2 volumes in one. Baltimore: Heraldic Book Company, 1968. Print.
Filby, P. William and Mary K Meyer. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index in Four Volumes. Detroit: Gale Research, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8).
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds. Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8).
Magnusson, Magnus. Chambers Biographical Dictionary 5th edition. Edinburgh: W & R Chambers, 1990. Print.
Bullock, L.G. Historical Map of England and Wales. Edinburgh: Bartholomew and Son, 1971. Print.
Humble, Richard. The Fall of Saxon England. New York: Barnes and Noble, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-88029-987-8).
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin . Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8).
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The Clapten Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Clapten Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 7 September 2016 at 09:36.