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

Rapa, 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 Rapa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rapa in America

Rapa is the 58042nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rapa surname appeared 350 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Rapa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rapa 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 Rapa

The surname RAPA is of Italian origin, with its earliest recorded instances traced back to the late 13th century in the region of Tuscany. It is believed to derive from the Latin word "rapum," meaning "turnip," potentially indicating an association with agriculture or a location where turnips were abundant.

One of the earliest known records of the RAPA surname appears in the Florentine tax records of 1296, where a certain Gherardo Rapa is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the Tuscan region by that time.

During the 14th century, the RAPA surname started to appear in other parts of Italy, particularly in the northern regions of Lombardy and Veneto. This dispersal could be attributed to migration patterns or the establishment of trade routes across the Italian peninsula.

In the 15th century, the RAPA surname gained prominence in the city of Venice, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such figure was Andrea Rapa, a renowned Venetian architect born in 1450, who contributed to the design and construction of several churches and palaces in the city.

As the Renaissance period unfolded, the RAPA surname continued to spread across Europe. In the 16th century, records show instances of the name in Spain, where it was likely introduced through Italian merchants or settlers. One notable Spanish figure with the RAPA surname was Pedro Rapa, a military commander who fought in the Spanish conquest of the Americas in the mid-16th century.

In the 17th century, the RAPA surname found its way to the British Isles, potentially through Italian immigrants or those with Italian ancestry. One of the earliest recorded instances in England was that of Giovanni Rapa, an Italian-born musician who served as a court composer to King Charles II in the late 1600s.

As time progressed, the RAPA surname continued to spread across various regions, with bearers of the name contributing to diverse fields such as art, literature, and science. Notable individuals include Italian painter Giacomo Rapa (1752-1834), French novelist Émile Rapa (1810-1871), and Austrian physicist Josef Rapa (1892-1975).

Throughout its history, the RAPA surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Rappa, Rappа, and Rappi, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of the regions where it was adopted. Despite these variations, the name's connection to its Italian roots and the Latin word "rapum" remains a consistent thread.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rapa

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

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

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

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