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

Cap, 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 Cap surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cap in America

Cap is the 27783rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cap surname appeared 865 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 Cap.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cap 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 Cap

The surname Cap originated in England and dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "cap," meaning a head covering or hat. The name likely referred to someone who made or sold caps, or perhaps someone who habitually wore a distinctive cap.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which mention a John Cap in Oxfordshire. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 also list a Thomas Cap.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Cappe, Cappes, and Cappis. The Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379 includes entries for Johannes Cappe and Robertus Cappes.

The Domesday Book, a famous survey commissioned by William the Conquer in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Cap, as it primarily recorded landowners and tenants rather than occupational surnames.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir John Cap, a notable English soldier who fought in the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century. He was born around 1420 and died in 1489.

In the 16th century, the surname Cap was found in various parts of England, including Essex, where a William Cap was recorded in the Feet of Fines for 1546.

Several place names in England are thought to have influenced the surname, such as Capel in Surrey, Capel St. Mary in Suffolk, and Capenor in Kent.

Notable individuals with the surname Cap include:

1. Sir Giles Cap (c. 1550-1624), an English politician and member of Parliament.
2. John Cap (1610-1668), an English clergyman and author of religious works.
3. Elizabeth Cap (1680-1744), a notable English Quaker and diarist.
4. William Cap (1720-1798), an English merchant and philanthropist from Bristol.
5. Thomas Cap (1778-1855), a British naval officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cap

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

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

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

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