2000
#5,565
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,732
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.12
Rare Last name
Northrup
A locational surname referring to someone who lived north of a village or on the northern part of a village.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,118 Americans carry the last name Northrup. That puts it at #6,156 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 56,024 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Northrup 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
6.1K
1 in 56,024
Census rank
#6,156
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,335 bearers of the surname Northrup in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6156th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Northrup, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Northrup
The surname Northrup has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period around the 11th century. It is believed to derive from the Old English words "north" and "throp" or "thorpe," which together mean "northern village" or "northern hamlet." This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived in a northern village or settlement.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various English historical records and documents, such as the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions individuals with the surname Northrop or similar spellings like Northropp or Northrup. These early spellings highlight the variation in how the name was written and pronounced in different regions.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Roger de Northropp, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire in 1195. Another notable individual was William de Northrope, who was listed in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1273.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, including Northrop, Northropp, and Northrupp. For instance, a John Northropp was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1327, while a Thomas Northrupp was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1380.
The name Northrup has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One such individual was Sir John Northrup (1564-1617), an English politician and Member of Parliament who served as the Sheriff of London in 1609. Another was John Northrup (1677-1762), an American colonist and one of the founding settlers of Milford, Connecticut.
In the 18th century, Nathaniel Northrup (1709-1792) was a prominent figure in the American Revolutionary War, serving as a captain in the Connecticut militia. His son, Anson Northrup (1756-1844), was a soldier in the Continental Army and later became a Baptist minister.
During the 19th century, William Beaumont Northrup (1835-1901) gained recognition as a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a Member of Parliament and a judge in Ontario. Another notable figure was Charles Northrup (1867-1940), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Northrup Collegiate School in Minnesota.
These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Northrup who have left their mark throughout history, showcasing the rich heritage and diverse backgrounds associated with this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Northrup
Among Census respondents with the surname Northrup, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Northrup 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 Northrup surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 4,723
- Two or more races4.2% · 225
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 173
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 102
- Black or African American1.1% · 58
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 54
Timeline
Historical Census data for Northrup
Northrup 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
#6,057
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,663
-69 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 1.92
Rank movement Down 492 places
2020
#6,156
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,335
-328 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 1.78
Rank movement Down 99 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,565 | 5,732 | 2.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,057 | 5,663 | 1.92 | -69 bearers (-1.2%) | Down 492 places |
| 2020 | #6,156 | 5,335 | 1.78 | -328 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 99 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 Northrup 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 | #6,057 | #6,156 | -1.6% |
| Count | 5,663 | 5,335 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.92 | 1.78 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Northrup bearers went from 5,663 to 5,335 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 99 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,057 to #6,156.
FAQ
Northrup surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Northrup?
Name Census estimates that about 6,118 living Americans carry the surname Northrup. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 56,024 residents.
How common is Northrup?
Northrup ranks #6,156 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.78 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 5,335 people with the surname Northrup. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.78 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 Northrup.
Has Northrup become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Northrup went from 5,663 recorded bearers to 5,335. That is a decrease of 328 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,057 to #6,156.
What does the Census say about the background of Northrup?
Among Census respondents with the surname Northrup, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Northrup in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (4,723 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Northrup appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Northrup (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 Northrup mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived north of a village or on the northern part of a village. 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 Northrup (1.78 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 Northrup?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.