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

Rapier, 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 Rapier surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rapier in America

Rapier is the 16601st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rapier surname appeared 1,727 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Rapier.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rapier 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 Rapier

The surname Rapier is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "rapiere," which means a slender and sharply pointed sword. It emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 13th century, and was likely an occupational name given to a swordmaker or a skilled swordsman.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Rapier can be found in the Calendars of the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, where a person named William Rapiere is mentioned in 1365. The name also appears in the records of the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, England, from 1273, with the spelling "Rapere."

In the 15th century, the surname Rapier was prominently associated with the town of Rapier, located in the historic province of Normandy, France. It is believed that the name may have originated from this place, although the town's name itself may have been derived from the Old French word "rapiere."

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Rapier gained recognition in England, with several notable individuals bearing this name. One such person was Sir Edmund Rapier (c. 1550-1626), an English soldier and courtier who served under Queen Elizabeth I and James I. Another prominent figure was Sir George Rapier (c. 1596-1675), an English merchant and Member of Parliament.

In the 18th century, the Rapier surname was found in various parts of Europe, including France, England, and Scotland. One notable bearer was Jean Rapier (1730-1792), a French-born American merchant and patriot who played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War.

As the centuries progressed, the Rapier surname continued to spread across different regions, with several variations in spelling, such as Rapere, Rapyre, and Rapier. Some other notable individuals with this surname include Sir Richard Rapier (1553-1629), an English lawyer and judge, and Sir Thomas Rapier (1585-1669), an English politician and military officer.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rapier

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

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

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

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