Clapp or Klapp?

Question

I have received permission to merge Klapp-97 into Clapp-761, but before doing so, I want to consult with the Palatine Migration project. Should Johann's LNAB be Clapp as it currently is, or Klapp as his father's is, and his wife's, and the majority of his children? It is actually spelled both ways in his extensive Biography/Sources section.

I think that Klapp is more German, and Clapp is more English. But considering that many Germans anglicized their names, possibly consciously, but many times accidentally - like the census taker who just wrote down phonetically what was reported...

What would you recommend?

Comments

Kathy is right. As this man was born in Germany, use the Klapp spelling. I have added Project Protection to Klapp-97 to ensure the merge is completed in correct direction.

Thanks for checking with us Bartley.

Answer 1

It should be the name on his birth or baptismal certificate.  Missing that, if you use the German Johann, use Klapp.  If John, then perhaps Clapp.  "Cl" is not a German orthograph.

Remember to clean up the merge biography/source sections.  Currently there are two of each.

Answer 2

I would personally go by what the majority for the records use. I only glanced at this profile, but there doesn't seem to be much contemporary evidence, so perhaps use the spelling his father used? Again, this is just a personally preference. Other Wikitreers might have better suggestions. Good luck, in any case, and thank you for working to improve the profile!

Answer 3

SurnameDB.com shows Clapp popularity ranking of 9339 out of close to 50,000 names. They have it as of pre 9th century Anglo-Saxon origin...

They don't say anything about Klapp.

Answer 4

I would use Klapp and put Clapp as other last name.

Answer 5

Check whatever actually legitimate records you have for consistency. Meaning:  Cross-reference! Then do it again! And again! If you have seen a birth certificate or death certificate those are really credible. The Census is good too, but make sure you check more than one Census. the census takers sometimes changed the spelling.
These are  basic tools for deciding BUT . Names were changed throughout the years and sometimes by the people themselves. One of my German names started out as some wierd thing and somewhere down the line went to "Elhard." My grandpa was upset because  "people arent pronouncing it right" so he added a D to make it Elhardt.

This is actually important to record all the variations. It helps keep the records straight, especially for others who are looking for that same name. Most semi-pro or professionals use the [   ] feature.for each possibility. or even a diagonal.  Klapp [Clapp]  or Klapp/Clapp

I have seen so many variations of my Metcalf line so I record them all for reference. Metcalf/Medcalf/Metcalfe/Medcalfe/Midcalf/Mitcalf

Comments

That is fine for bio, but not in LNAB box, or other last name box. After all nobody I have seen started life as

Smith_Jones_Brown_or_Black

More likely

Smith as LNAB with the others in other last names and perhaps one in current last name.

Answer 6

I took a look at indexed Hessen records at FamilySearch. Searching for “Clapp,” exact matches, gave no results. Searching for “Klapp,” exact matches, gave 60 results. While this is certainly not an exhaustive analysis, it does suggest Klapp is the preferred spelling. I have seen C and K interchanged in Austrian and German records.

In early colonial Massachusetts there is the Clapp (also spelled Clap) Family which came from Devonshire in England. With this family I never seen the surnamed spelled with a K.