2010
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Apthorpe
A locational surname derived from a place named Apethorp in Northamptonshire, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Apthorpe. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Apthorpe 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 Apthorpe with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Apthorpe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Apthorpe, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Apthorpe
The surname APTHORPE is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the county of Northamptonshire, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "aeppel" (apple) and "thorpe" (village or hamlet), suggesting that the name may have originally referred to a village or settlement where apple orchards were prominent.
The earliest known recorded instances of the name APTHORPE can be found in various historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable reference is in the Hundred Rolls of Northamptonshire, a census-like document compiled in 1273, which lists individuals with the surname APTHORPE residing in the village of Apthorp (now known as Apethorpe).
In the 15th century, the APTHORPE family gained prominence in Northamptonshire, with several members holding positions of influence and power. Sir John APTHORPE (c. 1455-1529) was a respected landowner and member of the gentry, serving as a Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire during the reign of Henry VIII.
Another notable figure was Sir William APTHORPE (c. 1600-1675), a successful merchant and alderman in the City of London. He played a significant role in the East India Company and was knighted by King Charles II in recognition of his contributions.
During the English Civil War, Captain Richard APTHORPE (c. 1620-1680) was a Royalist officer who fought alongside King Charles I's forces. After the war, he was granted lands in Ireland as part of the Settlement of Ireland.
In the 18th century, the APTHORPE family continued to hold influential positions, with Sir East APTHORPE (1713-1781) serving as a Member of Parliament for Grantham and later becoming Lord Mayor of London in 1767.
The surname APTHORPE also has connections to the United States, with John APTHORPE (1744-1809) being a prominent merchant and landowner in Massachusetts during the American Revolutionary War era. He was a loyalist to the British Crown and was forced to flee to England during the conflict.
While the name APTHORPE is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of English surnames, with its origins rooted in the medieval villages of Northamptonshire and a history that spans centuries of notable individuals and events.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Apthorpe
Among Census respondents with the surname Apthorpe, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Apthorpe 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 Apthorpe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.0% · 96
- Two or more races3.0% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Apthorpe
Apthorpe appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-20 bearers (-16.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,966 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -20 bearers (-16.5%) | Down 16,966 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 Apthorpe 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 | #138,304 | #155,270 | -12.3% |
| Count | 121 | 101 | -16.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Apthorpe bearers went from 121 to 101 (-16.5% change). The surname moved down 16,966 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #155,270.
FAQ
Apthorpe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Apthorpe?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Apthorpe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Apthorpe?
Apthorpe ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Apthorpe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Apthorpe.
Has Apthorpe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Apthorpe went from 121 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 20 (-16.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Apthorpe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Apthorpe, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Apthorpe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Apthorpe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.0%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Apthorpe (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 Apthorpe mean?
A locational surname derived from a place named Apethorp in Northamptonshire, England. 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 Apthorpe (0.03 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 have the last name Apthorpe?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Apthorpe on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.