Chipman Name Meaning, Origin and Heraldry

Seen on a birth certificate or a ship's manifest, Chipman is usually a form of Chapman. Its meaning, shared with Chapman, is “Merchant, trader”.

• The two spellings differ in a small detail: Chipman has “i” where Chapman has “a”.
• Spellings drifted because names were written down by ear in parish books, tax rolls and passenger lists.
• Other spellings include Chepman and Copeman.

Chipman coat of arms

A coat of arms belongs to a particular family line rather than to everyone named Chipman, so the heraldry linked to Chapman is a starting point, not an automatic right. Want more than a summary? See the Chipman family name pack.