Maples last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Maples

An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a maple tree or a maple forest.

Maples, 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 Maples surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Maples in America

Maples is the 3367th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Maples surname appeared 10,603 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Maples.

We can also compare 2010 data for Maples 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 3367 3134 7.17%
Count 10,603 10,559 0.42%
Proportion per 100k 3.59 3.91 -8.53%

The history of the last name Maples

The surname Maples originated in England and is a locational name derived from the Old English word 'mapol', meaning maple tree. It is believed to have been first adopted by families residing near a prominent maple tree or in an area abundant with maple trees.

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Mapeldene', referring to a place in Norfolk. This suggests that the surname was already in use by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the name was often spelled in various ways, such as Mapel, Mapull, and Mapulle, reflecting the regional dialects and variations in spelling conventions at the time.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname was Richard de Mapuldurwelle, recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1194. The name likely refers to Mapledurwell, a village in Hampshire.

In the 13th century, the Maples family established themselves as landowners in Leicestershire and Warwickshire. One notable figure was John Maples (c. 1280 - c. 1350), a wealthy merchant and alderman in the city of Coventry.

During the English Civil War (1642-1651), Captain Thomas Maples (1620-1679) served as a Parliamentarian officer and was later appointed as the Governor of Warwick Castle.

Another prominent individual was Sir John Maples (1645-1723), a Member of Parliament for Warwickshire and a staunch supporter of the Glorious Revolution of 1688. He played a significant role in securing the accession of William III and Mary II to the English throne.

In the 19th century, Chauncy Maples (1808-1892) was a renowned English landowner and banker. He served as the High Sheriff of Warwickshire in 1845 and was known for his philanthropic efforts, including the establishment of a school in Coleshill.

One of the most famous bearers of the name was Sir Stanley Maples (1910-1996), a British aviator and pioneering test pilot. He set numerous aviation records and was awarded the Air Force Cross for his contributions to the development of aircraft during World War II.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Maples

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

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 Maples was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 89.04% 9,441
Non-Hispanic Black Only 5.90% 626
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.35% 37
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.82% 87
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.90% 201
Hispanic Origin 1.99% 211

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 Maples has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 89.04% 91.22% -2.42%
Black 5.90% 5.47% 7.56%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.35% 0.21% 50.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.82% 0.63% 26.21%
Two or More Races 1.90% 1.48% 24.85%
Hispanic 1.99% 0.99% 67.11%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Maples last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 5, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/maples-surname-popularity/.

"Maples last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/maples-surname-popularity/. Accessed 5 December, 2024

Maples last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/maples-surname-popularity/.

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