2000
#11,023
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,646
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.98
Rare Last name
Sappington
Derived from the Old English words "sæpp" and "ing" meaning "dweller by the spruce tree."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,897 Americans carry the last name Sappington. That puts it at #11,847 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 118,314 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sappington surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 118,314
Census rank
#11,847
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,526 bearers of the surname Sappington in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11847th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sappington, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Black (5.3%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sappington
The surname Sappington has its roots in the English language and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "sæpian," which means "to soap" or "to make soap." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to a soap maker or someone involved in the soap-making trade.
The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Sappinton." This document was a census-like survey conducted in England during the reign of King Edward I. The name is also mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, further indicating its presence in medieval England.
In the 16th century, the name was spelled in various ways, such as "Sappington," "Sapington," and "Sapinton." This variation in spelling was common during that time, as standardized spelling conventions were not yet established.
One notable individual with the surname Sappington was Thomas Sappington (1590-1662), an English landowner and member of the gentry from Leicestershire. Records show that he owned substantial properties in the area and was a prominent figure in local affairs.
Another significant figure was William Sappington (1726-1809), who was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He served as a captain in the Virginia militia during the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Kentucky, where he became a prominent farmer and landowner.
In the 19th century, the name gained recognition through individuals like John Sappington (1776-1856), a physician and botanist from Virginia. He was known for his contributions to the study of medicinal plants and his advocacy for herbal remedies. Additionally, Meredith Sappington (1845-1912), a Union Army veteran from Missouri, gained prominence for his involvement in the American Civil War.
The name Sappington is also associated with several place names in the United States, such as Sappington, Missouri, and Sappington Station, Maryland. These locations likely derived their names from early settlers with the Sappington surname.
While the surname Sappington is predominantly found in the United States, it has also been documented in other parts of the English-speaking world, including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, likely due to migration patterns.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sappington
Among Census respondents with the surname Sappington, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Black (5.3%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sappington bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Sappington surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.8% · 2,142
- Black or African American5.3% · 134
- Two or more races4.8% · 121
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 67
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sappington
Sappington appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#11,694
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,680
+34 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Down 671 places
2020
#11,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,526
-154 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 153 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,023 | 2,646 | 0.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,694 | 2,680 | 0.91 | +34 bearers (+1.3%) | Down 671 places |
| 2020 | #11,847 | 2,526 | 0.85 | -154 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 153 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Sappington surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,694 | #11,847 | -1.3% |
| Count | 2,680 | 2,526 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.91 | 0.85 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sappington bearers went from 2,680 to 2,526 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 153 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,694 to #11,847.
FAQ
Sappington surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sappington?
Name Census estimates that about 2,897 living Americans carry the surname Sappington. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 118,314 residents.
How common is Sappington?
Sappington ranks #11,847 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,526 people with the surname Sappington. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,897), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Sappington.
Has Sappington become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sappington went from 2,680 recorded bearers to 2,526. That is a decrease of 154 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,694 to #11,847.
What does the Census say about the background of Sappington?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sappington, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Black (5.3%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sappington in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.8% (2,142 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sappington appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.8%), Black (5.3%), Two or More Races (4.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Sappington (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Sappington mean?
Derived from the Old English words "sæpp" and "ing" meaning "dweller by the spruce tree." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Sappington (0.85 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Sappington?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Sappington is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.