Clapp is an English surname, most commonly found in the

West Country The West Country (occasionally Westcountry) is a loosely defined area of South West England, usually taken to include all, some, or parts of the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, and, less commonly, Wiltshire, Glo ...

and in the United States. The word signifies rough ground, or a small hill. Some men who brought the surname "Clapp" to America include: Captain

Roger Clapp Roger Clapp (1609–1690) was an early English colonist who settled in Dorchester, Massachusetts and served as a military and political leader in early colonial Massachusetts. Roger Clapp was born in 1609 in Salcombe Regis, Devon, England and bec ...

, who came to the New World on the ship ''

Mary and John ''Mary and John'' was a 400-ton ship that is known to have sailed between England and the American colonies four times from 1607 to 1633. She was during the later voyages captained by Robert Davies and owned by Roger Ludlow (1590–1664), one of t ...

'', which landed at Nantasket (now

Hull, Massachusetts Hull is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, located on a peninsula at the southern edge of Boston Harbor. Its population was 10,072 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Hull is the smallest town by land area in Pl ...

), on May 30, 1630. He helped establish the town of Dorchester, Massachusetts, soon afterward. He worked for many years in important positions for the town and in the military organization, including a long period as

commandant Commandant ( or ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ran ...

of Castle Island. Deacon Edward Clapp, an older brother of Roger, arrived in Dorchester, Massachusetts, in 1633. It has mistakenly been reported that he had no children, but his last will and testament prove otherwise. Edward was married to Prudence, and their son Nehemiah married Sarah Leavitt, daughter of

John Leavitt Deacon John Leavitt (1608–1691) was a tailor, public officeholder, and founding deacon of Old Ship Church in Hingham, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, the only remaining 17th-century Puritan meeting house in America and the oldest church in con ...

, one of the first settlers of Dorchester and later of

Hingham, Massachusetts Hingham ( ) is a town in metropolitan Greater Boston on the South Shore (Massachusetts), South Shore of the U.S. state of Massachusetts in northern Plymouth County, Massachusetts, Plymouth County. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, t ...

. Nehemiah Clapp lived in Hingham for a few years, but relocated to Dorchester, where he died at age 38 in 1684. The Clapp Memorial: Record of the Clapp Family in America, Ebenezer Clapp, Compiler, David Clapp & Son, Publishers, Boston, 1876"> The Clapp Memorial: Record of the Clapp Family in America, Ebenezer Clapp, Compiler, David Clapp & Son, Publishers, Boston, 1876
/ref> Thomas Clapp, a cousin of Roger and Edward, arrived in the same ship as Edward in 1633. He later moved to Weymouth, and then to Scituate, Massachusetts, where he was a Deputy of the Court. Deacon Nicholas Clapp, brother of Thomas, arrived in Dorchester, Massachusetts, in 1633. He was an upstanding member of his community, occasionally mediating disputes. George Gilson Clapp came to America in 1666, residing for a time in

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

before settling in

Westchester County Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population ...

, New York.

People with the surname

Allen Clapp Allen Gordon Clapp (born August 5, 1967) is the singer, guitarist and principal songwriter for the California rock band The Orange Peels. Since 1990, he has also periodically released material under his own name and under the moniker "Allen Clapp a ...

(born 1967), American singer, guitarist and principal songwriter of the rock band The Orange Peels *

Almon M. Clapp Almon Mason Clapp (September 14, 1811 – April 9, 1899) was an American printer and politician, and the first person to hold the title Public Printer of the United States, from 1876 to 1877. Biography Clapp was born in Killingly, Connecticut ...

(1811–1899), American politician and first

Public Printer of the United States The Public Printer of the United States was the head of the United States Government Publishing Office (GPO). Pursuant to , this officer was nominated by the President of the United States and approved by the United States Senate. In December 2014, ...

* Asa Clapp (merchant) (1762–1848), American merchant and politician * Asa Clapp (politician) (1805–1891), American politician, son of the above * Austin Clapp (1910–1971), American swimmer and water polo player *

Benjamin Clapp Benjamin Clapp (born October 13, 1977) is an American musician from Boise, Idaho. He has performed, composed, and recorded music with numerous artists, most notably Erik Sanko ( The Lounge Lizards) and Skeleton Key, Tom Marshall (Phish) and A ...

(born 1977), American musician * Benjamin L. Clapp (1814–1865), Mormon leader and member of the First Seven Presidents of the Seventy * Cameron Clapp (born 1986), American disabled athlete and actor *

Cornelia Clapp Cornelia Maria Clapp (March 17, 1849 – December 31, 1934) was an American zoologist and educator, specializing in marine biology. She earned the first Ph.D. in biology awarded to a woman in the United States from Syracuse University in 1889, ...

(1849–1934), American zoologist * Dominic Clapp (born 1980), English cricketer * George Hubbard Clapp (1858–1949), American pioneer in the aluminum industry *

Gordon Clapp Gordon Clapp (born September 24, 1948) is an American actor best known for playing Det. Greg Medavoy for all 12 seasons of the television series ''NYPD Blue'', winning an Emmy Award in 1998. Early life and education Clapp was born in North Con ...

(born 1948), American actor * Harold Winthrop Clapp (1875–1952), Australian transport administrator * Harvey Clapp (1817–1889), American farmer and politician *

James Kilton Clapp James Kilton Clapp (December 30, 1897 – 1965) was an American electrical engineer who worked for General Radio Corporation. He was born in Denver, Colorado and graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1923, obtaining a master's de ...

(1897–1965), American electrical engineer and inventor * John Clapp (artist), professor and children's book illustrator *

John Clapp (baseball) John Edgar Clapp (July 15, 1851December 18, 1904), nicknamed "Honest John", was a professional baseball player-manager whose career spanned 12 seasons, 11 of which were spent with the Major League Baseball (MLB) Middletown Mansfields (1872), Phil ...

(1851–1904), Major League Baseball player and manager * Joseph Dorr Clapp (1811–1900), American businessman and politician * Krissada Sukosol Clapp (born 1970), Thai singer and actor * Louise Clapp (1934–1967), All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player *

Louise Brough Althea Louise Brough Clapp (née Brough; March 11, 1923 – February 3, 2014) was an American tennis player. In her career between 1939 and 1959, she won six Grand Slam singles titles as well as numerous doubles and mixed-doubles titles. At the ...

Clapp (1923–2014), American tennis player *

Margaret Clapp Margaret Antoinette Clapp (April 10, 1910 – May 3, 1974) was an American scholar, educator and Pulitzer Prize winner. She was the president of Wellesley College from 1949-1966. During her presidency, she was able to make many improvements to the ...

(1910–1974), American scholar, educator and Pulitzer Prize winner * Mark R. Clapp (1803–1891), American politician and farmer * Michael Clapp (born 1932), retired Royal Navy commodore, Amphibious Force commander in the Falklands War * Moses E. Clapp (1851–1929), American lawyer and politician * Nicholas Clapp (born 1936), American writer and filmmaker * Philip Greeley Clapp (1888–1954), American educator, conductor, pianist and composer of classical music * Priscilla A. Clapp (born 1941), American diplomat *Richard Stubby Clapp (born 1973), Canadian baseball player * Robert Edwin Clapp (1855–after 1908), Canadian physician and politician * Susannah Clapp (born 1949), British theatre critic, writer and book editor *

Thomas Clap Thomas Clap or Thomas Clapp (June 26, 1703 – January 7, 1767) was an American academic and educator, a Congregational minister, and college administrator. He was both the fifth rector and the earliest official to be called "president" of Yale Co ...

or Clapp (1703–1767), American academic and educator, President of Yale College *

Tom Clapp Tom Clapp (25 October 1858 – 15 October 1933) was an English-born international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Newport and Nantyglo RFC. He won 14 caps for Wales and captained the team on three occasions. Clapp was the first ...

(1858–1933), English rugby union player * Verner Clapp (1901–1972), American librarian and writer *

Will Clapp Will Clapp (born December 10, 1995) is an American football center for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Louisiana State University. Early years Clapp attended Brother Martin High Sc ...

(born 1995), American football player *Philip John Clapp, aka

Johnny Knoxville Philip John Clapp (born March 11, 1971), best known professionally as Johnny Knoxville, is an American stunt performer, actor, writer, producer, and professional wrestler. He is best known as a co-creator and star of the MTV reality stunt show ...

(born 1971), American actor

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clapp (Surname)

People with the surname

See also

References