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

Rapp, 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 Rapp surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rapp in America

Rapp is the 2562nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rapp surname appeared 14,107 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Rapp.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rapp 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 Rapp

The surname Rapp originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old German word "rap," which means "turnip" or "cabbage." It was likely an occupational name given to someone who grew or sold these vegetables.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Traditionum Westfalicarum, a collection of medieval documents from Westphalia, Germany. In this text, a man named Hermannus Rapp is mentioned in an entry from the year 1181.

The Rapp surname also appears in various other medieval records, including the Liber Census Daniæ, a Danish census from the late 13th century, which lists several individuals with the name Rapp residing in various towns and villages.

In the 14th century, the name is found in the Stadtbuch von Augsburg, a record book from the city of Augsburg, Germany. One notable entry from 1357 refers to a man named Conradus Rapp, who was a merchant and landowner in the city.

As the name spread throughout Germany, it also took on various spelling variations, such as Rapp, Rappe, and Rappen. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and pronunciation differences.

Several notable individuals throughout history have borne the surname Rapp, including:

1. Jean Rapp (1772-1821), a French general who served under Napoleon Bonaparte and was known for his military campaigns in Germany and Italy.

2. Erasmus Rapp (1612-1686), a German Protestant theologian and author who wrote extensively on religious subjects.

3. Amon Henry Rapp (1803-1890), an American architect and pioneer who designed several notable buildings in Indiana and Ohio.

4. Tobias Rapp (c. 1570-1638), a German composer and organist who was active in the early Baroque period.

5. Georg Rapp (1757-1847), a German-American religious leader who founded the Harmony Society, a influential Christian separatist group that established several settlements in Pennsylvania and Indiana.

While the surname Rapp originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration. However, its roots can be traced back to the medieval period, when it was likely an occupational name associated with the cultivation or trade of turnips and cabbage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rapp

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

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

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

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