According to the Dictionary of American Family Names (Elsdon C. Smith; © 1956, 1973; Harper & Row, Publishers; ISBN 06-013933-1), Zappe or Zapf is a German name meaning "One who sold liquor; a publican."

    Zappe is also an Italian word meaning "hoe" as in a garden tool.

    Zappe also appears in French, but I'm not sure of the meaning.

    Probably German, but there are other meanings in other languages... if you know of another meaning or origin, let me know!

    Frizz Zappe of Bamberg, Germany, wrote to me on 11 July 2000:

    "My Grandfather Fritz Zappe who died 6 years ago, also was searching for the Zappe's roots and we found out, that the names origin comes from Italy. In the mid-centuries the "Zappes" where the executors in the Italian towns and cities. When you come to Italy, in every old town you will find a "via zappe" which means the street to the towns executing places. Because of this reason, the name Zappe is very rare worldwide."

    Matthias Teichert wrote to me on 28 August 2002:

    "Zapf, Zäpfel, Zäpfle are Upper German, Central German Zapp(e), Low German Tappe. All mean [tap] Zapfer or a person who draws beer or wine, Lower German Tapper = tavern owner, confer Sauerzapf (sour-), Weinzapf (wine-); Wackerzapp (obscene?-). In some cases 'drunkard': as in a Shrovetide Play in Bern 1548 (Fritz Seltenleer [Fritz rarely sober], ein voller Zapf [a full tap]). Zapfner (Middle High German) 'wine power'. Source: Hans Bahlow's "Dictionary of German Names" (translated and revised by Edda Gentry, 2nd edition) 2002. Hans Bahlow's book, albeit in German, is one of th foremost sources for German family name research, along with Bach, Brechenmacher, Gottschald, and Naumann.

   " Zapf(e), Zapff, Middle German Zapp(e): 1326 Zapf, 1344 Czapphe, 1465 Czappe. Nickname from the Middle High German word zapfe, Middle German zappe, both meaning 'tap; beer sale;' for a tavern owner, possibly also for a 'fat, simple-minded man'. Source: Horst Naumann's "Das Grosse Buch der Familiennamen, Alter, Herkunft, Bedeutung." Basserman Verlag, 1999.

    "Low, High German, etc. don't have anything to do with social class. It has to do with the direction that rivers flow in Europe. Lower is the lower part of a river = northern, upper = southern. Also umlauts: ä, ü, ö = ae, ue, oe."