2000
#5,777
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,484
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.03
Rare Last name
Mapes
Derived from a Middle English term for someone who made or sold maps, or lived near a maple tree.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,039 Americans carry the last name Mapes. That puts it at #6,228 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 56,757 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mapes 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 Mapes with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.0K
1 in 56,757
Census rank
#6,228
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,266 bearers of the surname Mapes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6228th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mapes, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mapes
The surname MAPES has its origins in medieval England, deriving from the Old English words "map" and "mappe," meaning a map or charts. The name was likely first adopted by individuals who worked as cartographers or map-makers, a highly skilled and respected profession during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname MAPES can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Mappes." This suggests that the name was already well-established in parts of England by the late 11th century.
In the 12th century, a notable figure bearing the surname MAPES was Walter Map (c. 1140 - c. 1210), a medieval writer and courtier of King Henry II. He is best known for his satirical work "De Nugis Curialium" (Courtiers' Trifles), a collection of anecdotes and observations about court life.
The MAPES surname also has connections to various place names in England, such as Mappowder in Dorset and Mappleton in Yorkshire. These locations may have influenced the development of the surname or provided a source for its adoption by families residing in those areas.
Another notable bearer of the MAPES surname was Thomas Mapes (c. 1279 - c. 1336), an English prelate who served as the Bishop of Bath and Wells from 1328 until his death. He was known for his involvement in political affairs during the reign of Edward III.
In the 16th century, a variant spelling of the surname, "Mappes," was recorded in the parish registers of Dorset, England. This variation highlights the fluidity of surname spellings during that period.
A more recent historical figure with the MAPES surname was Walter Mapes (1552 - 1610), an English poet and playwright who contributed to the development of early modern English literature. His works include the play "The Arraignment of a Jew" and a collection of poems titled "A Green Forest."
As the MAPES surname spread throughout England and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Mappes, Mapps, and Mapp. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and the preferences of individual record-keepers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mapes
Among Census respondents with the surname Mapes, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Mapes 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 Mapes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.5% · 4,713
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 225
- Two or more races4.2% · 219
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 43
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 35
- Black or African American0.6% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mapes
Mapes 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
#6,260
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,456
-28 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 1.85
Rank movement Down 483 places
2020
#6,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,266
-190 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.76
Rank movement Up 32 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,777 | 5,484 | 2.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,260 | 5,456 | 1.85 | -28 bearers (-0.5%) | Down 483 places |
| 2020 | #6,228 | 5,266 | 1.76 | -190 bearers (-3.5%) | Up 32 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 Mapes 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 | #6,260 | #6,228 | 0.5% |
| Count | 5,456 | 5,266 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.85 | 1.76 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mapes bearers went from 5,456 to 5,266 (-3.5% change). The surname moved up 32 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,260 to #6,228.
FAQ
Mapes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mapes?
Name Census estimates that about 6,039 living Americans carry the surname Mapes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 56,757 residents.
How common is Mapes?
Mapes ranks #6,228 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,266 people with the surname Mapes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,039), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Mapes.
Has Mapes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mapes went from 5,456 recorded bearers to 5,266. That is a decrease of 190 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,260 to #6,228.
What does the Census say about the background of Mapes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mapes, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Mapes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.5% (4,713 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mapes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.5%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Mapes (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 Mapes mean?
Derived from a Middle English term for someone who made or sold maps, or lived near a maple tree. 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 Mapes (1.76 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 Mapes?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.