The
Hebrides islands and the west coast of
Scotland are the ancestral home of the Gapyn family. Their name comes from
the son of the blond one, or
son of Alpin.Early Origins of the Gapyn family
The surname Gapyn was first found in
Argyllshire (Gaelic erra Ghaidheal), the region of western
Scotland corresponding roughly with the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata, in the Strathclyde region of
Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Argyll and
Bute, where they were descended from King Kenneth MacAlpin who was murdered by the
Picts near Dundee in the year 834. MacAlpin is generally considered to have been the first king to rule both Scots and
Picts, and as such, was the first king of Scotland.
Early History of the Gapyn family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gapyn research.
Another 385 words (28 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1395, 1405, 1531, 1557, 1658, 1725 and 1692 are included under the topic Early Gapyn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Gapyn Spelling Variations
Medieval translation of Gaelic names could not be referred to as an accurate process. Spelling was not yet standardized, and names in documents from that era are riddled with
spelling variations. Gapyn has been written as MacAlpine, MacAlpin, MacAilpein (Gaelic) and others.
Early Notables of the Gapyn family (pre 1700)
Notable amongst the
Clan from early times was Sir John MacAlpin; John MacAlpine (Latin: Maccabeus) (died 1557), a Scottish Protestant theologian; and Joseph Capen (1658-1725), a Massachusetts clergyman who during...
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gapyn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Gapyn family to Ireland
Some of the Gapyn family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 51 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Gapyn family to the New World and Oceana
Ancestors of many of the Dalriadan families who crossed the Atlantic still live along the east coast of the United States and Canada. Some Scottish settlers arrived in Canada during the American
War of Independence as United Empire Loyalists, while others stayed south to fight for a new nation. The descendants of Scottish settlers in both countries began to rediscover their heritage in the 19th and 20th centuries through
Clan societies and highland games. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Gapyn or a variant listed above: Robert MacAlpin, who settled in New York State in 1740; William MacAlpine settled in New York in 1774; Hugh and James MacAlpin settled in New York in 1811. James Alpin was registered as a United Empire Loyalist..