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

Chap, 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 Chap surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chap in America

Chap is the 39659th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chap surname appeared 554 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 Chap.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chap 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 Chap

The surname Chap is of English origin, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "chap," which meant a merchant, trader, or chapman. The earliest known bearer of this name was Radulfus le Chap, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Hampshire in 1166.

The name Chap was particularly prevalent in the counties of Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire in the southwest of England. In the 13th century, a variant spelling, "Chappe," was found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, referring to Walter le Chappe. This spelling suggests a connection to the Old French word "chape," meaning a cape or cloak worn by traders.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chap can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, where a John Chap is listed. During the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Cheppe, Chap, and Chappe, in various records across England, including the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379.

In the 15th century, the name Chap was associated with several notable individuals. John Chap, a merchant from Bristol, was involved in trade with Spain and Portugal in the 1460s. Another John Chap, born in 1483, was a scholar and theologian who studied at Oxford University and later became the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Taunton, Somerset.

The 16th century saw the rise of several prominent Chaps, including Sir Walter Chap (1520-1598), a member of the English gentry from Gloucestershire, and Thomas Chap (1545-1612), a renowned architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Captain Richard Chap (1610-1672) served as a Parliamentarian officer and played a role in the siege of Oxford in 1646. In the same century, Samuel Chap (1652-1711) was a respected writer and historian who authored several works on the history of Somerset.

In the 18th century, the name Chap continued to be associated with various professions and trades. John Chap (1725-1789) was a successful merchant and shipowner in Bristol, while William Chap (1742-1815) was a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in Bath and London.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chap

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

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

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

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