2000
#11,910
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,407
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.89
Rare Last name
Lape
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a leap, or a place where deer frequently jumped.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,446 Americans carry the last name Lape. That puts it at #13,603 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 140,129 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lape 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.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 140,129
Census rank
#13,603
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,133 bearers of the surname Lape in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13603rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lape, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lape
The surname LAPE is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, with its roots potentially tracing back to the Old English word "læppe," which referred to a small piece of land or a small plot of cultivated ground. This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive surname for someone who lived near or worked on a small plot of land.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name LAPE can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and property commissioned by William the Conqueror. While the exact spelling may have varied, the presence of the name in this important historical document highlights its antiquity and establishes its ties to the English countryside.
Throughout the centuries, the name LAPE has been associated with various notable individuals. One such figure was John Lape, a prominent merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire, who lived in the 15th century. His descendants continued to play a role in the local community for generations to come.
Another individual of note was William Lape, born in 1612, who was a pioneering settler in the American colonies. He and his family were among the early arrivals in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, contributing to the establishment of new communities in the New World.
In the 18th century, a notable figure bearing the LAPE surname was Thomas Lape, a respected scholar and clergyman born in 1729. He authored several influential works on theology and served as a prominent minister in his local parish.
As the name spread across different regions, variations in spelling became more common. For instance, in certain areas, the name was often spelled as "Lapp" or "Lappe," reflecting the influence of local dialects and pronunciation patterns.
The LAPE surname has also been associated with various place names and geographic locations throughout England. For example, the village of Lapworth in Warwickshire is thought to have derived its name from the Old English words "læppa" and "worth," meaning a small enclosure or farm.
While the origins of the LAPE surname can be traced back to medieval England, it has since been carried by individuals across the globe, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural and historical fabric of various communities. From its humble beginnings as a descriptive surname for those associated with small plots of land, it has evolved into a name with a rich and diverse legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lape
Among Census respondents with the surname Lape, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Lape 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 Lape surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 1,911
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 99
- Two or more races2.7% · 58
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.4% · 51
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lape
Lape 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
#13,551
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,237
-170 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 1,641 places
2020
#13,603
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,133
-104 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 52 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,910 | 2,407 | 0.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,551 | 2,237 | 0.76 | -170 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 1,641 places |
| 2020 | #13,603 | 2,133 | 0.71 | -104 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 52 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 Lape 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 | #13,551 | #13,603 | -0.4% |
| Count | 2,237 | 2,133 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.76 | 0.71 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lape bearers went from 2,237 to 2,133 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 52 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,551 to #13,603.
FAQ
Lape surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lape?
Name Census estimates that about 2,446 living Americans carry the surname Lape. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 140,129 residents.
How common is Lape?
Lape ranks #13,603 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.71 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 2,133 people with the surname Lape. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,446), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.71 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 Lape.
Has Lape become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lape went from 2,237 recorded bearers to 2,133. That is a decrease of 104 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,551 to #13,603.
What does the Census say about the background of Lape?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lape, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Lape in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (1,911 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lape appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Hispanic (4.6%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Lape (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 Lape mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a leap, or a place where deer frequently jumped. 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 Lape (0.71 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 Americans have the surname Lape?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.