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

Apache, 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 Apache surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Apache in America

Apache is the 77788th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Apache surname appeared 246 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 Apache.

We can also compare 2010 data for Apache 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 Apache

The surname Apache is derived from the Native American tribe of the same name, which is believed to have originated from the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The word "Apache" itself is thought to have come from the Zuni word "apachu," meaning "enemy."

The Apache people have a rich and storied history, dating back centuries. While the surname Apache is not as widely documented as some others, it is likely that it first emerged in areas where interactions between Europeans and the Apache tribe took place, such as in parts of modern-day Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Apache can be found in the records of Spanish explorers and missionaries who encountered the Apache people in the 16th and 17th centuries. These records often referred to individuals from the tribe by their Apache names or described them as "Apaches."

Some notable historical figures with the surname Apache include:

1. Juan Apache (c. 1640 - c. 1700), a prominent Apache leader and warrior during the Spanish colonial period in New Mexico.
2. Manuelito Apache (c. 1818 - 1894), a renowned Navajo and Apache leader who fought against the United States government in the Apache Wars.
3. Geronimo Apache (1829 - 1909), one of the most famous Apache leaders and warriors, who led an uprising against the U.S. government and Mexican forces in the late 19th century.
4. Naiche Apache (c. 1857 - 1919), a prominent Apache leader and member of the Chiricahua Apache tribe, who played a significant role in the Apache Wars.
5. Victorio Apache (c. 1825 - 1880), a respected Apache leader and warrior who led a significant resistance against the U.S. military in the late 19th century.

While the surname Apache is not as common as some other surnames, it has a rich cultural heritage and is deeply connected to the history and struggles of the Apache people in their interactions with European colonizers and the expanding United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Apache

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

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 Apache 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 Apache 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 Apache was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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