Show ContentsLappin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The generations and branches of the Lappin family share a name that has its roots in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. The name Lappin comes from the baptismal nameLapin. The surname Lappin referred to the son of Lapin which belongs to the category of patronymic surnames. In Old English, patronyms were formed by adding a variety of suffixes to personal names, which changed over time and from place to place. For example, after the Norman Conquest, sunu and sune, which meant son, were the most common patronymic suffixes. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the most common patronymic names included the word filius, which meant son. By the 14th century, the suffix son had replaced these earlier versions. Surnames that were formed with filius or son were more common in the north of England and it was here that the number of individuals without surnames was greatest at this time.

Early Origins of the Lappin family

The surname Lappin was first found in Kent, where they held a family seat from the Middle Ages.

Early History of the Lappin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lappin research. Another 44 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1320, 1481, 1749, 1840 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Lappin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lappin Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Lappin include Lappin, Lapping, Lappine, Lapinus, Lapyn, Lappyng, Lapine, Lappen and many more.

Early Notables of the Lappin family

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

Lappin Ranking

In the United States, the name Lappin is the 12,389th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Ireland Migration of the Lappin family to Ireland

Some of the Lappin family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 93 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Lappin migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Lappin or a variant listed above:

Lappin Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Agnes Lappin, who arrived in New York, NY in 1710 2
Lappin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Edward Lappin, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 2
  • J. Lappin to Baltimore in 1822
  • James Lappin, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1823 2
  • James Lappin to Allegheny County, Pennsylvania in 1826
  • James Lappin to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1855
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Lappin migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lappin Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Patrick Lappin, aged 21, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Betsy Heron" from Belfast, Ireland

New Zealand Lappin 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:

Lappin Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Robert Lappin, aged 23, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rakaia" in 1878

Contemporary Notables of the name Lappin (post 1700) +

  • Peter Lappin (b. 1965), American professional NHL ice hockey player for the Minnesota North Stars and San Jose Sharks
  • Linda Lappin (b. 1953), American poet, novelist, and translator
  • Lauren Lappin (b. 1984), American silver medalist softball player at the 2008 Summer Olympics
  • Hubert Henry "Harry" Lappin (1879-1925), English footballer
  • Jessica Suzanne Lappin (b. 1975), American politician, Democratic New York City Councilwoman (2006-2013)
  • Simon Lappin (b. 1983), Scottish professional footballer who plays for St Johnstone
  • Ryan Lappin (b. 1980), Australian television personality and musician, best known for co-hosting the popular children's morning show Cheez TV from 1995 until 2004
  • Nigel Lappin (b. 1976), Australian rules footballer whop played from 1994 to 2008, member of the Australia National Team in2001
  • Matthew Lappin (b. 1976), Australian rules footballer whop played from 1994 to 2007
  • Bernard Lappin, Canadian distinguished professor of social work

Empress of Ireland
  • Mr. William Henry Lappin (d. 1914), British Cook from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 3


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook