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

Rappaport, 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 Rappaport surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rappaport in America

Rappaport is the 11146th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rappaport surname appeared 2,841 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 Rappaport.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rappaport 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 Rappaport

The surname Rappaport originated in the Rhineland region of Germany in the late Middle Ages. It is derived from the German words "Rappe" meaning "crow" and "port" meaning "gate" or "entrance." Thus, the name likely referred to someone who lived near a gate or entrance associated with a crow symbol or crest.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in tax records and municipal rolls from cities like Cologne and Frankfurt in the 14th and 15th centuries. Variations in spelling included Rappaporte, Rappeport, and Rappenpfort. A Johann Rappaport is mentioned in a 1421 document from Mainz as a craftsman.

As Jewish communities became established in the Rhineland, some families adopted the surname Rappaport. One of the earliest known Jewish individuals with this name was Rabbi Yaakov Rappaport, a renowned Talmudic scholar born in 1537 in Bamberg. His writings and teachings were highly influential in Jewish intellectual circles.

Another notable figure was Moses Rappaport (1612-1670), a Jewish printer and publisher in Prague who produced important Hebrew texts and theological works. His printing press helped disseminate Jewish literature during a pivotal period.

In the 18th century, the name spread more widely as families migrated across Europe. Chaim Rappaport (1728-1811), a banker and philanthropist from Galicia (now Poland), played a key role in supporting Jewish education and welfare initiatives.

Sara Rappaport (1837-1911), born in Bessarabia (now Moldova), was an influential educator who established schools for Jewish girls in Russia, defying social conventions of her era.

As the surname crossed into the English-speaking world, variants like Rappoport and Rapoport also emerged. One bearer was Samuel Rappoport (1895-1971), an American lawyer who represented the prosecution at the Nuremberg trials after World War II.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rappaport

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

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

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

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