Neap History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Scotland
• Ireland
• England

Etymology of Neap

The ancestors of the name Neap are thought to have come from the ancient Scottish kingdom of Dalriada. Neap was used to indicate someone who worked as a person at a royal court who was in charge of the tablecloths and linen, which were collectively called the napery. "In England, in the reign of Henry I, William de Hastings held the manor of Ashele in Norfolk by the service of taking charge of the napery, i.e. tablecloths and linen at the coronation of the English kings. The first record of the name in Scotland is c. 1290 when John Naper obtained from Malcolm, earl of Lennox, a charter of the quarter-land called Kylmethew. This John Naper is included in the inhibition by the bishop of Glasgow directed against Malcolm, earl of Lennoy and his adherents in 1294 and is doubtless the John le Naper of the county of Dunbretan who rendered homage in 1296." 1

Early Origins of the Neap family

Early History of the Neap family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Neap research. Another 316 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1239, 1280, 1294, 1308, 1401, 1437, 1440, 1451, 1550, 1560, 1603, 1606, 1610, 1617, 1625, 1637, 1642, 1660, 1661, 1673, 1683, 1690, 1698, 1700 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Neap History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Neap Spelling Variations

In the Middle Ages, the translation between Gaelic and English was not a highly developed process. Spelling was not yet standardized, and so, an enormous number of spelling variations appear in records of early Scottish names. Neap has appeared as Napier, Naper, Napper, Naiper, Napeer, Neaper and others.

Early Notables of the Neap family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was George Napper (Napier) (1550-1610), an English Roman Catholic priest, a Catholic martyr, beatified by Pope Pius XI; John Napier (1550-1617), a famed mathematician and inventor of logarithms, this eighth laird of Merchiston was also extremely involved in religious debates (he was a staunch anti-Catholic) and was an inventor of military devices, such as a horse-drawn tank and a type of submarine; Sir Robert Napier, 1st Baronet (1560-1637), of Luton Hoo in Bedfordshire, an English merchant; Sir Robert Napier, 2nd Baronet (c. 1603-1661), of...
Another 90 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Neap Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Neap family to Ireland

Some of the Neap family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Neap family

Many of the ancestors of Dalriadan families who arrived in North America still live in communities along the east coast of Canada and the United States. In the American War of Independence many of the original settlers traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the ancestors of many Scots began recovering their collective national heritage through Clan societies, highland games, and other patriotic events. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Neap or a variant listed above: Patrick Napier settled in Virginia in 1655; John Napier settled in Philadelphia in 1798; Charles Napier settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1823.