This surname is derived from an occupation. 'the chapman.' It is probable that the early chapman was stationary, and dealt in a much larger way than we are now accustomed to suppose. The travelling chapman was of a lower grade. An Act of Edward VI speaks of 'person or persones commonly called Pedler, Tynker, or Pety Chapman' (5 & 6 Edward VI, c. 21).

Nicholaus Fleschewer, chapman de Bees, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Robertus Wulchapman, marchand: ibid.

Thomas le Chapman, Leicestershire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Grante le Chapman, Devon, ibid.

Geoffrey le Chapman, c. 1300. Writs of Parliament.

Alard le Chapman. Excerpta e Rotulis Finium in Turri Londinensi.

William le Chepman, Somerset, 1 Edward III: Kirby's Quest.

Alicia Shepshank, chapman, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Agnes Chapman, 1379: ibid.

Magota de Brandon, chapman, 1379: ibid.

Henricus Schapman, 1379: ibid.

1541. Baptised — Robert Chapmanne: St. Peter, Cornhill.

1619. — Alice, d. Gyles Chapman: St. James, Clerkenwell.

This surname, found mainly in the Lothians and in Perthshire, is derived from the occupation of 'chapman,' Old English ceapman, 'merchant.' It is probable, as Bardsley says, that the early chapman was stationary and dealt in a much larger way than we are now accustomed to suppose. The chapman portrayed in Burns's Tam o' Shanter was of a lower grade. The earliest occurrence of the name seems to be in 1296 when a pardon was granted to a man for causing the death of Ralph Chepman in Dundee (Bain, II, 839). William Chapman, provost of Aberdeen in 1327 (ER., I, p. 59, 60) is probably the Willelmus dictus Chapman who appears on an inquisition in the same town in 1333 (REA., I, p. 54). Hugh called Chepman held a land in fee in the town of Roxburgh in 1338 (Dryburgh, 260,261), David II granted a charter of the lands of Rotherstoun near Dee to Duncan Chapman (RMS., I, App. II,1403), and Symon Chepman, a burgess of Lanark in 1359 (ER., I, p. 599), had a confirmation charter from David II of the lands of Banks and of the Brerybankes in Lanark in 1367 (RMS., I, 266). Thomas Chepman, Scottish merchant, complained in 1359 that his ship was captured and sunk by the English during a truce (Bain, IV, 23), and Hugh Chaypman, bailie of Stirling in 1387 (ER. III, p. 159) appears in the same record in the following year as Hugh Mercator (= merchant). Donald Chapman, a Scot in Norwich, was arrested in violation of the truce in 1396 (Bain, IV, 483), and Finlai Chepman held a land in Irvine in 1426 (Irvine, I, 129). To Walter Chepman, merchant burgess of Edinburgh, and Andro Myllar jointly, James IV granted a patent to establish the first printing press in Scotland in 1507 (Dickson-Edmond, Annals of Scottish printing, p. 13—22). Chaipman 1492, Chapmane 1484, Cheipman 1600, Chepmane 1526, Chopman 1593, Chopmane 1628, Schapman 1548, Shepman 1367.

(English) Merchant, Tradesman, Dealer [Middle English chapman, Old English ceápmann, merchant, pedlar ¡ Old English ceáp, price, bargain, market] Though he be chapman or marchaunte And have of golde many [a] besaunte.— Chaucer, Rom. of the Rose, 5591-2.

'Yis, ones I was yherberwed,’ quod he, ‘ With an heep of chapmen.

I roos whan thei were areste And riflede hire males’ [their bags].—Piers Plowman, 2937-40.

“Trader or Merchant” in Old English. Compare Afrikaans “Venter”.

(English) The merchant or tradesman, a peddler.

Anglo-Saxon ceapman. Any one who traffics, buys, or sells. Richardson. In medieval deeds one and the same person is described as Chapman and Mercator. Le Chapman, H.R. About 150 traders in London very appropriately bear this name.

A shopkeeper, a trader.

The same as Chipman, a trader, a shopman; from the Saxon ceapan or cypan, to buy or sell. Saxon, ceap, a bargain, a price; one who cheapens, asks the price, buys.

Chapman: a travelling merchant. Cheap-Jack takes his name from the word, so does Cheapside. Copenhagen is the chapman’s haven.

Chapman. —This common surname, if we except its curious resuscitation in Cornwall, is essentially an east of England name. From Kent to the North Riding the descendants of the ancient travelling merchants, or "cheap - men" (Anglo - Saxon Ce'apman) occur in singularly constant numbers. Their preference for the coast counties would seem to show that their travels were sometimes on the seas; yet it would also appear that the attractions of the great metropolis brought them together in numbers in the south - eastern counties. Kent stands foremost as their present abode.