2000
#28,617
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 784
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.29
Rare Last name
Appiah
A surname of Ghanaian origin meaning "plantain seller".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,065 Americans carry the last name Appiah. That puts it at #11,295 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 111,828 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Appiah 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Appiah with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 111,828
Census rank
#11,295
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,673 bearers of the surname Appiah in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11295th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Appiah, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and White (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Appiah
The surname Appiah is of Akan origin, specifically from the Ashanti people of Ghana, West Africa. Its earliest roots can be traced back to the 17th century when the Ashanti Kingdom was established. The name is derived from the Akan word "appa," meaning "venerable" or "elder," signifying respect and reverence.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Appiah surname dates back to the late 17th century, where it appears in historical records from the Ashanti Kingdom. The name is closely associated with the Ashanti people's cultural traditions and their rich oral history.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Appiah name gained prominence among the Ashanti nobility and influential families. Notable figures with this surname include Nana Akua Appiah, a renowned queen mother and advisor to the Ashanti king in the early 19th century, known for her wisdom and diplomacy.
In the 20th century, Appiah became a widely recognized surname beyond the borders of Ghana. Kwame Anthony Appiah (born 1954), a British-Ghanaian philosopher and cultural theorist, is one of the most prominent individuals with this surname. His works have significantly influenced modern discussions on race, identity, and cosmopolitanism.
Another noteworthy individual is Joseph Ephraim Casely-Hayford (1866-1930), a writer, educator, and political activist from Ghana, who played a pivotal role in advocating for African self-governance and education. His mother's maiden name was Appiah.
In contemporary times, the Appiah surname has maintained its significance within the Akan community and has spread across various regions due to migration and diaspora. It continues to be associated with the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the Ashanti people.
Throughout its history, the Appiah surname has been closely linked to the Ashanti Kingdom's cultural and political landscape, serving as a testament to the enduring legacy of the Akan people and their contributions to West African history and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Appiah
Among Census respondents with the surname Appiah, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and White (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Appiah 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 Appiah surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American93.6% · 2,503
- Two or more races1.9% · 52
- White1.9% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 39
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Appiah
Appiah 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
#17,239
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,643
+859 bearers (+109.6%)
Per 100,000 0.56
Rank movement Up 11,378 places
2020
#11,295
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,673
+1,030 bearers (+62.7%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 5,944 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #28,617 | 784 | 0.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,239 | 1,643 | 0.56 | +859 bearers (+109.6%) | Up 11,378 places |
| 2020 | #11,295 | 2,673 | 0.89 | +1,030 bearers (+62.7%) | Up 5,944 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 Appiah 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 | #17,239 | #11,295 | 34.5% |
| Count | 1,643 | 2,673 | 62.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.56 | 0.89 | 59.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Appiah bearers went from 1,643 to 2,673 (+62.7% change). The surname moved up 5,944 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,239 to #11,295.
FAQ
Appiah surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Appiah?
Name Census estimates that about 3,065 living Americans carry the surname Appiah. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 111,828 residents.
How common is Appiah?
Appiah ranks #11,295 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,673 people with the surname Appiah. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,065), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Appiah.
Has Appiah become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Appiah went from 1,643 recorded bearers to 2,673. That is an increase of 1,030 (+62.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,239 to #11,295.
What does the Census say about the background of Appiah?
Among Census respondents with the surname Appiah, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and White (1.9%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Appiah in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (2,503 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Appiah appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (93.6%), Two or More Races (1.9%), White (1.9%). 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 Appiah (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 Appiah mean?
A surname of Ghanaian origin meaning "plantain seller". 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 Appiah (0.89 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 Appiah?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Appiah at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.