Rapert last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Rapert

A variant spelling of the French surname Robert.

Rapert, 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 Rapert surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rapert in America

Rapert is the 80131st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rapert surname appeared 237 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 Rapert.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rapert 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 80131 76208 5.02%
Count 237 235 0.85%
Proportion per 100k 0.08 0.09 -11.76%

The history of the last name Rapert

The surname Rapert originated in the Normandy region of France during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "raper," which means "to scrape" or "to rake." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have been involved in agricultural or horticultural trades.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Rapert surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Rapere" in this historical document, indicating its presence in England shortly after the Norman Conquest.

During the 12th century, the surname Rapert began to appear in various records across Normandy and other parts of northern France. One notable individual from this period was Geoffroy Rapert, a knight who fought in the Third Crusade under the command of Richard the Lionheart (1157-1199).

As the surname spread throughout Europe, it evolved into different spellings, such as Rapart, Rappert, and Rapard. In the 14th century, a variant of the name, Rapier, emerged in England and was associated with the town of Rapier in Somerset.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Rapert surname in England was John Rapert, who was born in Gloucestershire in 1425. He served as a member of the local gentry and was known for his involvement in the Wars of the Roses.

During the Renaissance period, the Rapert family gained prominence in the arts and literature. Étienne Rapert (1508-1574), a French poet and playwright, was a renowned figure in the literary circles of Paris during the 16th century.

In the 17th century, the Rapert surname gained a foothold in the Netherlands, where it was often spelled as Rapert or Rappert. One notable figure from this era was Jan Rapert (1632-1701), a Dutch merchant and trader who established successful business ventures in the East Indies.

Throughout history, the Rapert surname has been associated with various professions, including agriculture, military service, arts, and commerce. While the name has evolved and spread across different regions, its origins can be traced back to the Norman heritage of medieval France.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rapert

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

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 Rapert was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 97.89% 232
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 97.89% 98.72% -0.84%
Black (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic (S)% 0.00% (S)%

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Rapert, 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!

"Rapert last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on June 17, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/rapert-surname-popularity/.

"Rapert last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/rapert-surname-popularity/. Accessed 17 June, 2025

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

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