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

Apple, 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 Apple surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Apple in America

Apple is the 5050th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Apple surname appeared 6,948 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Apple.

We can also compare 2010 data for Apple 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 Apple

The surname Apple is of English origin and can be traced back to the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "æppel," which referred to the fruit of the apple tree. This name likely originated as a nickname or descriptive name for someone who lived near an apple orchard or was associated with the cultivation or sale of apples.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Apple can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and wealth in England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Appeldor," which translates to "apple tree." This entry suggests that the name was already in use during the Norman period.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records with different spellings, such as "Appel," "Appulle," and "Apelby." These variations reflect the evolution of the English language and the inconsistencies in spelling during that time period.

Historically, the Apple surname has been associated with several notable individuals, including:

1. Thomas Appele (c. 1370-1437), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1420 to 1424.

2. John Apple (c. 1500-1570), an English merchant and trader who is mentioned in the records of the Merchant Adventurers' Company of York.

3. William Apple (1585-1661), an English settler in Virginia who is considered one of the earliest colonists of the Virginia Colony.

4. Jonathan Apple (1669-1745), an American farmer and landowner from Massachusetts who was one of the earliest settlers in the town of Ipswich.

5. Johann Georg Apple (1717-1801), a German-American farmer and pioneer who settled in Pennsylvania and is credited with introducing the apple variety known as the "Apple Pie" or "Pennsylvania Apple Pie."

The Apple surname has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Appledore in Devon and Appleton in Cheshire, which further reinforces its connection to the cultivation and trade of apples in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Apple

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

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

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

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