Surname Caplice - Meaning and Origin

Caplice: What does the surname Caplice mean?

The surname Caplice is an Anglo-Irish surname of possible Franco-Norman origin. The surname was first established in County Cork, Ireland in the late 13th century. The surname is derived from the personal name “Capel”, which likely originated from the Old French term “capele”, a diminutive of the Latin word “capula”, meaning “little head”. This may also have been a reference to a military helmet.

The first recorded bearer of the surname in Ireland was Peter de Capella, who lived in County Cork in 1282. Since then, the surname has been recorded in the old records of County Cork, particularly in the town of Bandon, where there is a popular street named Caplice Street, in honour of the local family of the same name.

The name is still common today; Caplice appears as one of the fifty most common Irish surnames.

The Irish variation of the name is “Ó Capaill”, which also appears as “Ó Cabhail” in some cases. The name is shared by families in both Ireland and the United States, with a notable family of Caplices still living in the Cork area today.

The traditional meaning of the surname, “little head”, is often thought to imply wisdom or intelligence, although other interpretations have been suggested too.

Caplice: Where does the name Caplice come from?

The last name Caplice can be found predominantly in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia. In the United States, the 2000 Census revealed that the Caplice surname is most common in the state of New York, with the name originating from Irish immigrants who settled in the state in the early 19th century. Other states with sizable populations of the surname include Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and California.

In the United Kingdom, Caplice is most common in Scotland and most notably in the city of Glasgow, where the surname is among the 200 most common surnames in the region. The name is also popular in the Irish province of Munster.

In terms of Australia, Caplice is most prevalent in the states of New South Wales and Victoria. The name originated in the state of Victoria during the 1850s, as a large number of Irish immigrants settled in Sydney and Melbourne.

Outside the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia, the surname Caplice can also be found in some parts of Germany. The majority of German-based Caplices are descendant from a formerly Jewish family that immigrated in the late 19th century.

Variations of the surname Caplice

The surname Caplice is derived from the Irish Gaelic Catholic surnames O’Cappailge and Mac Ailpe. The O’ prefix indicates that it originated from a masculine name and the Mac prefix indicates its origin from a female name.

The variants, spellings and surnames of Caplice include Caplice, Cappelce, Capelise, Cappase, Caplece, Cappelice, Capillie, Cappailce, Cappelys, Capliss, Caplice, Caplesse, Capples, Cappleys, Caplicey, Caplese, Capplece, Casplice and MacAilpe O’Cappailge.

The variations of the surname Caplice in Ireland, measure the decline and ultimate destruction of the Gaelic language. The different spelling patterns indicate the effects of the English language and variety of variants on the pronunciation and spelling of the Irish language.

In addition, many anglicized variants and spelling variations of the tipically Irish surname have been recorded, including Capalice, Capelese, Capillace, Capille, Caplease, Caplise, Cappleas, Caplyce, Cappeles, Cappelis, Cappellas, Casplise, Casplisse, Caspliss, and Mac Ailpe.

The migration of the surname Caplice throughout the English-speaking world, gives it an international presence and a wide variety of variants. Variations can be found in Canada, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and other nations.

Famous people with the name Caplice

• Emma Caplice: a British Olympic field hockey player who represented Great Britain at the 2012 London Olympics.
• Joe Caplice: a veteran Irish broadcaster who has hosted, produced, and appeared on countless TV and radio programs.
• Thomas Caplice: a prominent US lawyer who has been involved in several high-profile cases.
• Sean Caplice: a former professional soccer player who played with the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer.
• Joe Caplice Jr.: a noted Irish actor who has starred in a variety of films and television shows.
• Ray Caplice: a successful Australian entrepreneur and business leader who founded and ran his own international business.
• Mark Caplice: an esteemed Irish author of fiction and nonfiction, whose works include two bestselling novels and many political articles.
• Beth Caplice: an acclaimed British author who has written highly-regarded fiction and nonfiction works on a range of subjects.
• Bruce Caplice: a veteran Canadian politician who held several senior posts in the Canadian government.
• George Caplice: a respected American doctor and surgeon who was inducted into the American College of Surgeons Hall of Fame.

Other surnames

CaplingerCaplis