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Clapper Family History

Clapper Surname Meaning

English (Yorkshire): topographic name from Middle English claper generally denoting someone who lived by a rabbit warren. In southern counties however it often denoted a clapper bridge, a rough or natural bridge across a stream.

The Devon clapper bridge, common on Dartmoor, was made of flat stones laid across stone pillars. Alternatively, a nickname for a chatterer from Middle English claper ‘the tongue of a bell or of a noisy person’.

Americanized form of German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) Klapper ‘chatterer’.

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

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Where is the Clapper family from?

You can see how Clapper families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Clapper family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Clapper families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 35 Clapper families living in Ontario. This was about 83% of all the recorded Clapper's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Clapper families in 1911.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Clapper surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

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What Clapper family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 26,000 census records available for the last name Clapper. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Clapper census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 812 immigration records available for the last name Clapper. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Clapper. For the veterans among your Clapper ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Clapper lifespan?

Between 1949 and 2004, in the United States, Clapper life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Clapper in 1949 was 58, and 74 in 2004.

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