2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Maplethorpe
A topographic surname derived from a place name meaning "maple tree village" or similar.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Maplethorpe. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Maplethorpe 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 Maplethorpe with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Maplethorpe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Maplethorpe, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Maplethorpe
The surname Maplethorpe is believed to have originated in the English county of Warwickshire during the medieval period, possibly as early as the 12th century. It is a locational surname, derived from a place name that was likely a combination of the Old English words "mapol" (meaning maple tree) and "thorpe" (meaning a small village or hamlet).
One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Warwickshire Feet of Fines, a collection of legal documents from the 13th century, which mentions a person named William de Mapulthorpe in 1242. This early spelling variation highlights the name's connection to the maple tree and the nearby settlement.
In the 14th century, the Maplethorpe surname appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire, which were tax records used to assess individuals' wealth and property. This suggests that the name had become more established in the region during this period.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Maplethorpe surname. However, it does mention several places with similar names, such as Mapledurham in Oxfordshire and Mapleton in Derbyshire, indicating the presence of maple trees in these areas.
Notable individuals who have borne the Maplethorpe surname include:
1. Thomas Maplethorpe (c. 1450-1515), a prominent English landowner and member of the gentry in Warwickshire.
2. William Maplethorpe (1580-1638), an English clergyman and author who wrote a book on the history of the County of Warwick.
3. Edward Maplethorpe (1705-1781), a British military officer who served in the War of Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War.
4. Mary Maplethorpe (1810-1888), a British philanthropist and social reformer known for her work in improving living conditions for the poor in London.
5. Robert Maplethorpe (1866-1942), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in Birmingham and the surrounding areas.
While the surname Maplethorpe is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history and connection to the county of Warwickshire, where it originated as a locational name associated with the presence of maple trees in a particular settlement or hamlet.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Maplethorpe
Among Census respondents with the surname Maplethorpe, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Maplethorpe 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 Maplethorpe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Maplethorpe
Maplethorpe 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-13 bearers (-10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,574 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,403 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.0%) | Down 19,574 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 1,403 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 Maplethorpe 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 | #142,108 | #143,511 | -1.0% |
| Count | 117 | 118 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Maplethorpe bearers went from 117 to 118 (+0.9% change). The surname moved down 1,403 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #143,511.
FAQ
Maplethorpe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Maplethorpe?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Maplethorpe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Maplethorpe?
Maplethorpe ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 118 people with the surname Maplethorpe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Maplethorpe.
Has Maplethorpe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Maplethorpe went from 117 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Maplethorpe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Maplethorpe, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Maplethorpe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Maplethorpe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (2.5%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Maplethorpe (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 Maplethorpe mean?
A topographic surname derived from a place name meaning "maple tree village" or similar. 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 Maplethorpe (0.04 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 people are called Maplethorpe?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Maplethorpe is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.