Zapf Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Zapf last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Zapf last name
Meaning of the Zapf last name: tapster. Zapf is a German surname from Zapfen, "tap, bung", a name for a tapster or innkeeper who drew beer and wine from the cask. The last name is most common in Bavaria and Franconia. Curiously, type designer Hermann Zapf, born in Nuremberg, created the Palatino and Optima typefaces.
Arms associated with the Zapf name
Coats of arms associated with the Zapf name follow the German heraldic style of simple shapes and few colours, each set out in a short blazon.
Get your full Zapf family history
This is only a glimpse of the Zapf story. The full Zapf history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Zapf coat of arms. Get the full Zapf report.
Zapf name FAQ
What does the Zapf name mean?
Tapster. Common variants include Zapfe, Zapp.
Where does the Zapf surname come from?
It originates in Germany, and is also found in the United States and Austria.
Is there a Zapf coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Zapf coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Duden Familiennamen; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).