Show ContentsClaypool History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Claypool

What does the name Claypool mean?

The ancestors of the Claypool surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in Claypole, a parish in the county of Lincolnshire, near Newark. 1 "Oliver Cromwell is supposed to have slept at this place on the night previous to the siege of Newark, in an ancient house near the river, which still remains. " 2

The parish dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was first listed as Claipol and literally meant "clayey pool" from the Old English words "claeg" + "pol." 3

Early Origins of the Claypool family

The surname Claypool was first found in Lincolnshire where one of the first records of the family was Geoffrey de Cleipol, a Knight Templar there in 1185. 4 A few years later, William de Claypol, Lincolnshire was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 and William Claypole, was vicar of Wyken, Norfolk in 1388. 5 John de Claipole was listed in the Assize Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1374.

Further to the north in Scotland, "Magister Symon de Claypoll witnessed the gift of the church of Maleuille to the monastery of Dunfermline in 1255, and two years later appears as Master Simon de Claipol, rector of Insula (St. Mary's Isle) in the diocese of Whitehern, was probably a cleric from England. " 6

Early History of the Claypool family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Claypool research. Another 68 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1150, 1625, 1629, 1645, 1646, 1654, 1655, 1658, 1660 and 1688 are included under the topic Early Claypool History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Claypool Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Claypool include Claypool, Claypoll, Claypole, Claypoole, Claypol and others.

Early Notables of the Claypool family

More information is included under the topic Early Claypool Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Claypool Ranking

In the United States, the name Claypool is the 6,132nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 7

Migration of the Claypool family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Edward Claypole who settled in Barbados with his daughter Abigail in 1679; James Claypoole, his wife Helena, and seven children and five servants, settled in Pennsylvania in 1683.


Contemporary Notables of the name Claypool (post 1700) +

  • Wesley Claypool, American politician, Delegate to Ohio State Constitutional Convention from Ross County, 1850-51 8
  • Solomon Claypool, American politician, U.S. Attorney for Indiana, 1889 8
  • Newton Claypool (1795-1864), American politician, Member of Indiana State House of Representatives, 1825-28, 1842-43, 1844-45; Member of Indiana State Senate, 1828-31, 1836-37 8
  • Jefferson Helm Claypool (1856-1919), American politician, Member of Indiana State House of Representatives, 1889-91 8
  • Horatio Clifford Claypool (1859-1921), American Democratic Party politician, Probate judge in Ohio, 1905; U.S. Representative from Ohio 11th District, 1911-15, 1917-19 8
  • Harry Claypool, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Texas 21st District, 1964 8
  • Harold Kile Claypool (1886-1958), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from Ohio 11th District, 1937-43 8
  • Garrett S. Claypool, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Ohio, 1924, 1944, 1948 8
  • Benjamin Franklin Claypool (1825-1888), American Republican politician, Member of Indiana State Senate, 1861-63; Presidential Elector for Indiana, 1864, 1868; Candidate for U.S. Representative from Indiana, 1874 8
  • Abraham Claypool, American politician, Member of Ohio State Senate, 1803-05, 1806-08 8
  • ... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  7. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  8. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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