2010
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sappleton
A locational surname originating from a place with an abundance of saplings.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 157 Americans carry the last name Sappleton. That puts it at #129,703 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,183,149 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sappleton 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
157
1 in 2,183,149
Census rank
#129,703
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
137
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 137 bearers of the surname Sappleton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 129703rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sappleton, the largest self-reported group is Black at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.6%) and Hispanic (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sappleton
The surname Sappleton has its origins in England, emerging in the Middle Ages around the 13th century. Derived from the Old English words "sæp" meaning sap or resin, and "tun" meaning a town or settlement, the name likely referred to a person or family residing in a location known for its abundance of sap-producing trees or where resin was gathered.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1297, where a Richard de Sapleton is mentioned. This suggests that the name may have originated in or around Yorkshire, potentially in a village or hamlet associated with resin or sap production.
Variations in spelling were common during this period, with the name appearing as Sapeltone, Sapeltune, and Sapelton in various historical documents from the 14th and 15th centuries. These spellings reflect the regional dialects and linguistic evolution of the time.
In the 16th century, the name Sappleton is found in the records of St. Mary's Church in Beverley, Yorkshire, where a John Sappleton is documented as being baptized in 1587. This provides evidence of the name's continued presence in the Yorkshire region.
Notable individuals bearing the Sappleton surname include:
1. Sir Thomas Sappleton (1550-1621), a prominent merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of York in 1610.
2. Reverend William Sappleton (1625-1693), an English clergyman and author who wrote several theological treatises.
3. Elizabeth Sappleton (1670-1742), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist in Gloucestershire, known for her contributions to the local community.
4. Captain John Sappleton (1780-1856), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a respected shipbuilder in Plymouth.
5. Henry Sappleton (1815-1887), an influential agriculturist and breeder of livestock, known for his innovations in farming practices in Lincolnshire.
While the name Sappleton has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by emigrants and settlers over the centuries. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period and the Old English words that gave rise to this distinctive surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sappleton
Among Census respondents with the surname Sappleton, the largest self-reported group is Black at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.6%) and Hispanic (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sappleton 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 Sappleton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American85.4% · 117
- Two or more races6.6% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 2
- White0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sappleton
Sappleton appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#129,703
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
+9 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 2,503 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #129,703 | 137 | 0.05 | +9 bearers (+7.0%) | Up 2,503 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 Sappleton 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 | #132,206 | #129,703 | 1.9% |
| Count | 128 | 137 | 7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.05 | 14.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sappleton bearers went from 128 to 137 (+7.0% change). The surname moved up 2,503 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #129,703.
FAQ
Sappleton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sappleton?
Name Census estimates that about 157 living Americans carry the surname Sappleton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,183,149 residents.
How common is Sappleton?
Sappleton ranks #129,703 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 137 people with the surname Sappleton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (157), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Sappleton.
Has Sappleton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sappleton went from 128 recorded bearers to 137. That is an increase of 9 (+7.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #132,206 to #129,703.
What does the Census say about the background of Sappleton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sappleton, the largest self-reported group is Black at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.6%) and Hispanic (5.8%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sappleton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.4% (117 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sappleton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (85.4%), Two or More Races (6.6%), Hispanic (5.8%). 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 Sappleton (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 Sappleton mean?
A locational surname originating from a place with an abundance of saplings. 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 Sappleton (0.05 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 share the surname Sappleton?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.