Show ContentsMapes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name is most likely derived from the Old English "Mappa," but perhaps also from the Old Welsh word "map," meaning "son."

Early Origins of the Mapes family

The surname Mapes was first found in Herefordshire, where a Walter map was recorded in the "Charters of the Earldom of Hereford" between the years 1161 and1181.

Early History of the Mapes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mapes research. Another 36 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1212 and 1406 are included under the topic Early Mapes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mapes 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 Mapes include Mapes, Mappes, Map, Mapys and others.

Early Notables of the Mapes family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Mapes of Feltham and Rollesby, County Norfolk, who was granted a coat of arms

Mapes Ranking

In the United States, the name Mapes is the 5,614th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1


Mapes 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 Mapes or a variant listed above:

Mapes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Mapes, aged 21, who arrived in New England in 1634 aboard the ship "Francis" 2
  • Thomas Mapes, who landed in Long Island in 1640 2
Mapes Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Mapes, who arrived in Antigua in 1729 at age 17
Mapes Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Sarah Mapes, aged 17, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Victoria" in 1823 3
  • John Mapes, aged 18, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Columbia" in 1848 3
  • P. Mapes, aged 18, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "St. Dennis" in 1849 3
  • Johannes Mapes, aged 25, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Republik" in 1856 3
  • Simon Mapes, aged 29, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Elise Bichetre" in 1857 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Mapes migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Mapes Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Leonard Mapes, British Convict who was convicted in Norwich, Norfolk, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Dudbrook" on 17th November 1852, arriving in Western Australia 4
Mapes Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century
  • Mr. Leonard T. Mapes, who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Ballarat" in 1923 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Mapes (post 1700) +

  • David Parshall Mapes (1798-1890), early American businessman and politician from Coxsackie, New York
  • James Jay Mapes (1806-1866), American chemist, inventor and educator, associate editor of the Journal of Agriculture in 1851
  • Clifford Franklin Mapes (1922-1996), American Major League Baseball outfielder in the 1940s and 1950s
  • Mary Mapes (b. 1956), American journalist and television news producer
  • Charles Halsted Mapes (1864-1925), American author
  • Carol A. Mapes (b. 1945), American biologist
  • Bruce Mapes (1901-1961), American figure skater, creator of the Mapes flip
  • Victor Mapes (b. 1870), American playwright and critic
  • Carl Edgar Mapes (1874-1939), American lawyer and congressman
  • Clifford V. Mapes, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Michigan State Senate 24th District, 1960 6
  • ... (Another 19 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  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. Ellis Island Search retrieved 9th February 2023. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 23rd July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dudbrook
  5. National Archives of Australia Retrieved 9th February 2023. Retrieved from https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ListingReports/PassengerListing.aspx
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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