Show ContentsPape History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Pape family

The surname Pape was first found in Hamburg, where the name contributed greatly to the development of an emerging nation which would later play a large role in the tribal and national conflicts of the area. In later years the name branched into many houses, each playing a significant role in the local social and political affairs. Pape is also connected to several place names in the Holstein region.

Early History of the Pape family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pape research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1718, 1755, 1763 and 1779 are included under the topic Early Pape History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pape Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Pape, Papegaey, Papegoya, Papejans, Papeleu, Papelier, Papenbroeck, Papenburg, Papenda and many more.

Early Notables of the Pape family

Notables of the time included

  • the Pape family of Hamburg

Pape Ranking

In the United States, the name Pape is the 4,508th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. [1] However, in France, the name Pape is ranked the 6,681st most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. [2]


United States Pape migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Pape Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Carell Henrich Pape, aged 30, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1741 [3]
  • Andreas Pape, who landed in America in 1780 [3]
  • Johann Pape, who landed in America in 1783 [3]
Pape Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Claus Pape, who landed in North America in 1832-1849 [3]
  • Dorothea Pape, who arrived in Texas in 1840-1850 [3]
  • William Oswold Pape, who arrived in Mobile County, Ala in 1844 [3]
  • Mr. Andreas Pape, aged 35, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Hercules"
  • Cath. Pape, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Hercules"
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Pape migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Pape Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Heinrich Pape, who arrived in Quebec in 1850

New Zealand Pape 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:

Pape Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • John Pape, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ann Wilson" in 1857
  • John Pape, aged 24, a mason, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Adamant" in 1874 [4]
  • Mr. John Pape, (b. 1850), aged 24, Cornish mason departing on 6th May 1874 aboard the ship "Adamant" going to Napier, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand arriving in port on 13th August 1874 [5]

Contemporary Notables of the name Pape (post 1700) +

  • Gordon Kendrew Pape (b. 1936), American-born, Canadian author, best known for his personal finance guides
  • Kenneth Wayne "Ken" Pape (b. 1951), American Major League Baseball infielder for the Texas Rangers in 1976
  • Gérard Pape (b. 1955), American composer of electronic music, author, and psychologist
  • Brigadier-General Robin Bernard Pape (1903-2002), American Assistant Chief of Staff (G-2), 6th Army (1946-1948) [6]
  • Paul Pape (b. 1952), American actor
  • Robert Anthony Pape Jr. (b. 1960), American political scientist, professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago
  • Burkhard Pape (b. 1932), German former professional football player and manager
  • Sir George Augustus Pape (1903-1987), Australian lawyer and jurist, judge in the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1957
  • Johann Heinrich 'Henry" Pape (1789-1875), French maker of pianos and harps in the early 19th century
  • Bryan Pape, Australian senior lecturer at the University of New England, New South Wales, Australia
  • ... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bismarck
  • Rolf Pape (1921-1941), German Matrosengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking [7]
HMS Royal Oak
  • Eric William Anthony Searle Pape (1919-1939), British Leading Supply Assistant with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking [8]


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. 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)
  4. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  5. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to other ports, 1872 - 84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
  6. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2014, March 26) Robin Pape. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Pape/Robin_Bernard/USA.html
  7. Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details
  8. Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html


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