Meaning of Last Name

Clapp, or Clap, is a surname most commonly found in England (most commonly the Westcountry) and the United States. The word itself means rough ground , or a small hill. Some ancestors who brought the name Clapp to America include: Captain Roger Clapp, who came to the New World on the ship Mary and John, that landed in a place called Nantasket (now Hull, Massachusetts) on May 30, 1630. He established the town of Dorchester, Massachusetts soon after. He worked for many years in important positions for the town and its military organization. Deacon Edward Clapp, who was an older brother of Captain Roger Clapp, arrived in Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1633. It was mistakenly reported that he had no children, but in fact his last will and testament prove otherwise. Edward was married to Prudence, and their son Nehemiah married Sarah Leavitt, daughter of John Leavitt, later of Hingham but one of the first settlers of Dorchester. Nehemiah Clapp lived in Hingham for a few years, but relocated to Dorchester, where he died at age 38 in 1684. Thomas Clapp, who was a cousin of Captain Roger Clapp and Deacon Edward Clapp, arrived in the same ship as Edward in 1633. He later moved to Weymouth, Massachusetts and then finally to Scituate, Massachusetts, where he was a Deputy of the Court. Deacon Nicholas Clapp, brother of Thomas Clapp, arrived in Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1633. He was an upstanding member of his community, serving occasionally in disputes. George Gilson Clapp came to America in the year 1666, residing for a time in South Carolina before settling down in Westchester County, New York.