The surname APPLEBY/BEE is almost certainly a locative surname and the earliest holders of this as a hereditary surname may have been called this because they came from a place called Appleby.  There are several places in England which could have been the origin of different Appleby lines ...

1. Appleby-in-Westmorland - the first three photos show the market square, the castle and Appleby Horse Fair. You can read more about the origins of Appleby Castle here.

2. Appleby Magna and Appleby Parva in Leicestershire - photo four is Appleby Hall, photo five is the moated Manor House in Appleby Magna. This interesting site provides information about Appleby Magna (including an alternative explanation of the origin of the placename).

3. Appleby in Lincolnshire (photo six) -  the Roman Road of Ermine Street runs right through the middle of this ancient village in North Lincolnshire - it is interesting that Appleby in Lincolnshire also has a Horse Fair.  Read more here.

4. Uppleby by Easingwold  in Yorkshire (photo seven) - there is a theory that Uppleby and/or Eppleby could be the origin of some of the Yorkshire Appleby lines.  This Easingwold website explains more about the history.

5. Eppleby near Richmond in Yorkshire

(photo eight) shows the village green

Alternatively, early APPLEBYs may have been called by this name simply because they lived at or near a place were apples were grown ... historically, apples were grown for cider production in Kent, Somerset, Hampshire, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire.