capelle

Capelle is most commonly associated with Capelle aan den IJssel, a municipality and town in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. Located on the north bank of the IJssel river, just east of Rotterdam, it forms part of the Rotterdam–The Hague metropolitan area. The municipality encompasses the town center along with surrounding suburban neighborhoods and rural areas, and its local economy centers on services, retail, and light industry. Capelle has medieval origins as a settlement near a chapel, a fact reflected in its name.

The name Capelle derives from the Dutch word kapel, meaning chapel. The form with a C reflects historical spellings; in contemporary Dutch, the toponym is more commonly written Kapelle in many contexts. The use of Capelle as a place name is most closely tied to the Netherlands, and it also appears as a surname of Dutch origin.

Beyond Capelle aan den IJssel, Capelle may be encountered as a surname and, in some cases, as part of historic or regional references to chapels. When encountered in geographical contexts, Capelle often requires additional qualification to identify the intended place, since Kapelle is a more widespread toponym in the broader region.