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

Lapp, 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 Lapp surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lapp in America

Lapp is the 4568th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lapp surname appeared 7,761 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Lapp.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lapp 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 Lapp

The surname Lapp is of Scandinavian origin, with its roots traced back to the regions of Lapland, which spans across the northernmost parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. It dates back to the medieval period, around the 13th century.

The name is derived from the Old Norse word "lappr," which referred to the semi-nomadic Sami people who inhabited the Lapland region. This term was initially used by the Scandinavian settlers to describe the indigenous inhabitants of the area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Lapp can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of Norwegian medieval diplomas and documents, where it appears as "Lappi" in the 14th century.

In the 16th century, the Swedish census records from Lapland mention several individuals with the surname Lapp, indicating its widespread usage in the region during that time period.

Historically, the name Lapp was closely associated with the Sami people and their traditional way of life, which included reindeer herding, fishing, and hunting. Some notable individuals with this surname include:

1. Johan Lapp (1671-1740), a Swedish-Sami priest and author, known for his work in translating religious texts into the Sami language.

2. Nils Lapp (1805-1869), a Norwegian-Sami explorer and cartographer, who played a significant role in mapping the Arctic regions of Norway.

3. Erik Lapp (1808-1867), a Swedish-Sami artist and painter, renowned for his depictions of Sami life and landscapes.

4. Inga Lapp (1871-1944), a Norwegian-Sami activist and educator, who campaigned for the rights and education of the Sami people.

5. Gunnar Lapp (1886-1963), a Swedish-Sami writer and journalist, known for his works that shed light on the Sami culture and traditions.

The surname Lapp has also been associated with various place names in the Lapland region, such as Lappland (in Sweden), Lapponia (in Finland), and Lappi (in Norway). These names are derived from the same root as the surname and reflect the historical connection between the Sami people and the geography of the area.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lapp

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

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

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

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