Given name & surname
Chap
“a merchant; a peddler”
Chap is a variant of Chapman. One English interpretation is “a merchant; a peddler.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Chap is a variant of Chapman. One English interpretation is “a merchant; a peddler.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Chap is a variant of Chapman. An origin associated with Chapman is Old English.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1973. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Chap is a variant of Chapman. The history of Chapman gives this family its wider story. Chapman’s naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Chap through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 37
- 37 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1973
- 9 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 8 in 1981. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 9 in 1973. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 172 as a first name in 2020; 582 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Chap’s family of names
Chap has a related form in Chapman. In Greek usage, Chap as a surname is a transliteration of Χαπ.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Similar names
If you love Chap, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Chad
“one who is warlike”
>99% boys
Charlton
“from the free man's town”
>99% boys
Chadwick
“from Chad's dairy farm”
>99% boys
Chip
“one who bears Christ inside”
>99% boys
Athanasios
“a-, un-, non-” · “dying”
>99% boys
Kam
“having a crooked nose”
>99% boys
Chauncey
“an office holder; keeper of records” · “having good fortune”
>99% boys
Chet
“a vivacious woman”
>99% boys