Chapellow

Recorded in a wide variety of spellings including Chapelhow, Chappelhow, Chapellow, Chapilow, and many others, this is an English locational surname. It originates from a now "lost" medieval site in Northumberland, or possibly the existing village of Chapel Hill, since that its what it means "the chapel on the hill". The derivation is from the Olde English pre 7th century "capela", a place of worship, plus "hlaw" meaning a steep slope, hill or possibly a burial barrow. All the early recordings of the name are all found in the northern counties of Cumberland and Westmoreland, although it is now recorded in London and occasionally in the spelling of Chapellrow, elsewhere.Examples of the surname recordings include Joseph Chappellow at Allendale, Northumberland, on May 11th 1704, and George Chapplehow and Elizabeth Diment were married in St.Georges Chapel, Mayfair, London in 1742. The first recorded spelling of the family name is believed to be that of Christopher Chappelhow.This was dated 1602, in the book known as "The history of Westmoreland and Cumberland". This recording was during the reign of Queen Elizabeth Ist of England, known as "Good Queen Bess", 1558 - 1603. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.