Find out how popular the last name Apa is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Apa.

Apa, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Apa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Apa in America

Apa is the 50196th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Apa surname appeared 417 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Apa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Apa to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Apa

The surname Apa is believed to have originated in Hungary, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. This name is derived from the Hungarian word "apa," which means "father" or "ancestor." It was likely used initially as a descriptive surname, referring to the patriarch or head of a family or clan.

One of the earliest documented mentions of the Apa surname can be found in the Váradi regestrum, a 13th-century record of legal proceedings from the Diocese of Várad (now Oradea, Romania). This document contains several references to individuals bearing the Apa name, indicating its widespread use during that period.

The Apa surname has also been linked to various place names in Hungary, such as Apaváralja and Apahida. These locations may have been named after individuals with the Apa surname or vice versa, reflecting the strong connection between surnames and geographic locations.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Apa surname. One of the earliest was Péter Apa, a 13th-century Hungarian nobleman who served as the Voivode (military governor) of Transylvania between 1233 and 1234. Another prominent figure was János Apa (c. 1500-1560), a Hungarian Reformed Church minister and author who played a significant role in the spread of Protestantism in Hungary.

In the 19th century, Károly Apa (1822-1894) was a renowned Hungarian painter and art teacher who made significant contributions to the development of Hungarian academic painting. His works are displayed in several museums across Hungary and Europe.

Moving into the 20th century, Ervin Apa (1894-1945) was a Hungarian-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Ervin Apa Foundation, which supports various charitable causes in the United States and Hungary.

Another notable figure was Mátyás Apa (1916-2006), a Hungarian chess player and teacher who achieved the title of International Master and represented Hungary in several Chess Olympiads.

While the Apa surname has its roots in Hungary, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, its earliest recorded instances and historical references firmly establish its Hungarian origins, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and linguistic traditions of the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Apa

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Apa.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Apa was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Apa has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Apa was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Apa, please contact us.

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