Trap History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

From the historical and enchanting region of Austria emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Trap family. Originally, the Austrian people were known only by a single name. The process by which hereditary surnames were adopted in Austria is extremely interesting. Surnames evolved during the Middle Ages when people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. Often they adopted names that were derived from nicknames. Nickname surnames were derived from an eke-name, or added name. They usually reflected the physical characteristics or attributes of the first person that used the name. The name Trap is a nickname type of surname for an impish troublemaker having derived from the German word trappe, meaning rogue.

Early Origins of the Trap family

The surname Trap was first found in the Austrian province of Styria, moving later to Tyrol, where the name became noted for its many branches with the region, each house acquiring a status and influence which was envied and enrolled by the princes of the region. They possessed their family seat Trappenburg in the region of Leutschbach since ancient times. In their later history the name became a power unto themselves and were elevated to the ranks of nobility as they grew into this most influential family. Chronicles first mention Hans Trapp of Stetbach in 1388, and Cuncz Trap of Wuerzburg in 1409.

Early History of the Trap family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Trap research. Another 295 words (21 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1655, 1691, 1709, 1762 and 1819 are included under the topic Early Trap History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Trap Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Trap include Trapp, Trap, Trappe, Trapper, Traper, Trappl and many more.

Early Notables of the Trap family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Trap were

Carl Trapp of Pisain, who was the Tyrolian Ambassador to Spain in the 17th century

Trap migration to the United States +

Austria was made a republic after the First World War. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up by the Treaty of Versailles and many of its people found themselves in the new nation of Czechoslovakia. Many other Austrians and expatriate Austrians made their way to North America in the 20th century. Most landed in Philadelphia, later continuing on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Some Austrian settlers also went to western Canada and Ontario. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Trap or a variant listed above:

Trap Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Henry Trap, who landed in Virginia in 1703 1
Philip Trap, aged 23, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 1
Parinhorn Trap, aged 20, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1741 1

Trap 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:

Trap Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Joseph Trap, who landed in Nelson, New Zealand in 1842 aboard the ship Olympus

Citations +

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)