Trapp
A masculine German surname possibly derived from the word "treppe" meaning "staircase".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Trapp. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Trapp today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Trapp births was 2014 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Trapp. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Trapp. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2014
5 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2014 SSA rank
#13,885
Tracked since 2014
Popularity
Trapp: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Trapp by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Trapp during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Trapp
The name Trapp is believed to have originated in Germany, derived from the Middle High German word "trappe," which means "stair" or "step." This suggests that the name may have been associated with occupations or locations related to stairs or steps, such as a builder or someone living near a staircase.
In the 13th century, the name Trapp appeared in various German records, often as a surname or a descriptive name for individuals. One of the earliest recorded instances is found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, dated around 1240.
Although the name Trapp does not have a direct association with any ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has been documented in various historical records throughout the centuries. One notable example is Trapp von Bamberg, a German knight who participated in the Crusades during the 12th century.
In the 16th century, the name gained popularity in the form of Johannes Trapp, a German Lutheran theologian and scholar who lived from 1501 to 1564. He is known for his work in translating the Bible into German and his commentaries on various biblical texts.
Another noteworthy figure with the name Trapp is Joseph Trapp, an English scholar and poet who lived from 1679 to 1747. He is best known for his translations of Virgil's works and his contributions to English literature.
In the realm of music, Georg Trapp (1767-1845) was a German composer and organist who made significant contributions to church music during the Classical period. His works include numerous cantatas, masses, and organ compositions.
Moving forward in time, Maria Augusta Trapp (1905-1987), better known as Maria von Trapp, was a renowned Austrian singer and author. Her family's story was immortalized in the famous musical and film "The Sound of Music," where she was portrayed as a young governess who married the widowed Baron von Trapp.
While these are just a few examples, the name Trapp has been carried by numerous individuals throughout history, spanning various fields and professions, from knights and theologians to scholars and musicians.
People
Trapp + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Trapp as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Trapp: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Trapp?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Trapp going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Trapp a common name?
We classify Trapp as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Trapp most popular?
The single biggest year for Trapp was 2014, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Trapp is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Trapp in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Trapp a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Trapp in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Trapp still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Trapp in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Trapp can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Trapp?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Trapp at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.