Delap

Recorded in several spellings including de Lap, Delap, Delp, Dillap, Delapp, this is an English surname, but one apparently of medieval Fernch origins. We say 'apparently' because the surname in any of the above spellings, does not appear to be recorded in France at all, except for the otherwise unsupported recording of Jeanne Delaps. She married Jean Dufrey at Vezelise, Meurthe-et-Moselle, on July 12th 1768. We believe that usually Delap and its variants is a shortened form of somethings else such as De la Pre or De la Paul. Other examples of surnames from which it could have derived include Delapool, Delespaulle, Delapalme, Delapierre, Delaplanche, Delapine, and many others. In support of Delap as a French surname, we expected to find in English registers evidence of 17th century Hugueneot Protestant entry. The only examples which may be relevant seem to be those of Nicho Delop at the church of St Katherines by the Tower (of London) in 1662, and of Hugo de Lope, at the French Church, Threadneedle Street, in the city of London in 1670. A 'lope' was a French word for small area of land in ancient times, and is also believed to be the name of several villages.