Save Type Surname (from occupation) Usage English, French Pronounced Pron. /ˈt͡ʃæp.lɪn/(English) [key·simplify] Meaning & History Occupational name for a chaplain, or perhaps for the servant of one, from Middle English, Old French chapelain. A famous bearer was the British comic actor Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977). Related NamesDetails RootcappellaVariantLachapelle(French) Other Languages & CulturesCapella(Catalan) Kappel(Dutch) Kappel(German) Capela(Portuguese) Capilla(Spanish)