2000
#33,292
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 647
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.24
Very Rare Last name
App
A German surname derived from the word "Apfel," meaning apple.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 728 Americans carry the last name App. That puts it at #37,662 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 470,816 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the App surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
728
1 in 470,816
Census rank
#37,662
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
635
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 635 bearers of the surname App in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 37662nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname App, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of App
The surname "App" is of German origin and can be traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old High German word "apo" or "apho," which means "ancestor" or "forefather."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "App" can be found in the town records of Nuremberg in 1372, where a certain "Hans App" was mentioned as a resident. This suggests that the name was already established in the region during that time.
In the 15th century, the name appears in various historical documents from southern Germany and Austria. For example, a "Ulrich App" was recorded in the city of Augsburg in 1468, while a "Konrad App" was mentioned in a land registry in Salzburg, Austria, in 1492.
The name "App" is also linked to several place names in Germany, such as Appenzell, a historic canton in Switzerland, and Appenburg, a town in Bavaria. These place names may have contributed to the formation and spread of the surname.
One notable individual bearing the name "App" was Johann App (1598-1677), a German Jesuit priest and theologian from Trier. He was a renowned scholar and author of several works on philosophy and theology.
Another prominent figure was Johann Georg App (1734-1808), a German painter and engraver from Nuremberg. He was known for his portraits and religious works, some of which can still be found in churches and museums across Germany.
In the 19th century, the name "App" gained prominence with the birth of Karl App (1837-1910), a German industrialist and inventor. He founded the App Motor Works in Wiesbaden and was instrumental in the development of early combustion engines.
Georg App (1866-1933) was a German architect and urban planner who contributed significantly to the development of modern city planning concepts in the early 20th century.
Additionally, the name "App" has been associated with several notable artists and writers, such as the German painter and printmaker Karl App (1881-1962) and the Austrian writer and journalist Franz App (1899-1984).
While the surname "App" may not be as common as some other German names, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, industrialists, and more.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for App
Among Census respondents with the surname App, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how App bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the App surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 574
- Hispanic or Latino5.7% · 36
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.2% · 14
- Two or more races1.1% · 7
- Black or African American0.6% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for App
App appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#35,345
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 637
-10 bearers (-1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Down 2,053 places
2020
#37,662
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 635
-2 bearers (-0.3%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Down 2,317 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #33,292 | 647 | 0.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #35,345 | 637 | 0.22 | -10 bearers (-1.5%) | Down 2,053 places |
| 2020 | #37,662 | 635 | 0.21 | -2 bearers (-0.3%) | Down 2,317 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the App surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #35,345 | #37,662 | -6.6% |
| Count | 637 | 635 | -0.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.21 | -3.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of App bearers went from 637 to 635 (-0.3% change). The surname moved down 2,317 positions in the national ranking, going from #35,345 to #37,662.
FAQ
App surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname App?
Name Census estimates that about 728 living Americans carry the surname App. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 470,816 residents.
How common is App?
App ranks #37,662 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.21 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 635 people with the surname App. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (728), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.21 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname App.
Has App become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname App went from 637 recorded bearers to 635. That is a decrease of 2 (-0.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #35,345 to #37,662.
What does the Census say about the background of App?
Among Census respondents with the surname App, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname App in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (574 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
App appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Hispanic (5.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for App (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does App mean?
A German surname derived from the word "Apfel," meaning apple. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for App (0.21 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called App?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname App? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.