History of your Surname
Get access to Chapman family records.Start a free trial

Chapman Family History

Chapman Name Meaning

English: occupational name for a merchant or trader Middle English chap(pe)man chepman Old English cēapmann cēpemann a compound of cēap ‘barter bargain price property’ + mann ‘man’. Jewish: English surname (see 1 above) adopted for a like-sounding (e.g. Czapnik; see Chapnick ) or like-meaning Jewish name (e.g. Kaufman ) in some other European language.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Carman, Hayman, Chaplin, Chipman, Shipman, Cadman, Coopman, Waxman

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Chapman family from?

You can see how Chapman families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Chapman family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Chapman families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 7,513 Chapman families living in London. This was about 17% of all the recorded Chapman's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Chapman families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Chapman surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Chapman ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Chapman. 6% of Chapman men worked as a General Labourer and 65% of Chapman women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Chapman were Farmer and Incapacitated. .

View Census Data for Chapman | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    6%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
  • Farmer
    2%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    65%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Chapman family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Chapman. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Chapman census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Chapman

Passenger Lists

There are 130,000 immigration records available for the last name Chapman. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Chapman immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 179,000 military records available for the last name Chapman. For the veterans among your Chapman ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Chapman military records

You've only scratched the surface of Chapman family history

Discover More

What is the average Chapman lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Chapman life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Chapman in 1940 was 42, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Chapman

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Chapman family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Chapman last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial