Names are usually of patron origin and are derived from the first name of a father.
The surname came to denote a son of Sabbe. This personal name was literally translated from German as legal adviser and an early bearer of this name may have been a magistrate or Sheriff. This premise is in keeping with every tradition passed down by the various lines. Early Sapps in America A history of the Sapp family, published in 1910 by J. Gooden Sapp and H.W. Stanley asserted John Sapp was brought to america by Lord Calvert in the second or third load of immigrants in 1650 and settled in Maryland. The Sapps were closely allied with the Spears family.