Dear Jennifer,
I recently watched a movie called “Triple Dog” and the main character was a girl named Chapin.
I noticed you didn’t have it on the website and I would really like to know what it means.
Thanks, Anna
Dear Anna,
That’s a great question! Chapin is a surname that is derived from the French word “eschapin” or Spanish “chapín,’ which both mean a type of women’s shoe.
Most probably it was used as an occupational name for a shoemaker or someone who wore this type of footwear.
I remember musician Harry Chapin (“Cat’s in the Cradle”) and think it would make an awesome first name. I have added it to the database!
Good luck,
Jennifer
Jennifer Moss (she/her) is the founder of BabyNames.com, author of The Baby Names Workbook, and Producer of The Baby Names Podcast. Jennifer is widely regarded as the leading expert on popular baby name trends and the naming process, serving as the authoritative source on the subject for national and international media.
Jennifer entered the tech arena in the 80s as a software developer and database architect, and became a pioneer in the Internet industry. In addition to operating BabyNames.com, Jennifer owns a web development agency in central California.
