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

Soap, 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 Soap surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Soap in America

Soap is the 77264th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Soap surname appeared 248 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Soap.

We can also compare 2010 data for Soap 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 Soap

The surname SOAP is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest recorded usage dating back to the late 13th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English word "soap," which referred to the substance made from ashes and animal fats used for cleaning and bathing.

One of the earliest known references to the SOAP surname can be found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, a historical document from 1275, which mentions a man named Richard Soap. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, given to individuals involved in the production or trade of soap.

During the medieval period, the SOAP surname was primarily concentrated in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, where the soap-making industry was well-established. The name was also found in other parts of northern England, such as Cheshire and Derbyshire.

In the 15th century, the SOAP surname appeared in various spellings, including Sope, Soppe, and Soape, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions. One notable individual from this era was John Sope, a merchant from York, who was recorded in the city's Freemen's Roll in 1482.

As the centuries passed, the SOAP surname continued to spread across England, with families bearing the name settling in different regions. One prominent figure was Sir John Soap (1585-1653), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire, who served as a Member of Parliament during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, the SOAP surname was also found in Scotland, where it was occasionally spelled as Soape or Soapie. One notable Scottish bearer of the name was William Soapie (1720-1795), a merchant and shipowner from Aberdeen, who played a significant role in the city's maritime trade.

Another interesting individual with the SOAP surname was Elizabeth Soap (1790-1865), a renowned educator from Yorkshire, who established several schools for underprivileged children in the early 19th century.

As the Industrial Revolution gained momentum, the SOAP surname became more closely associated with the soap-making industry, with many families involved in the mass production and distribution of soap products. One such family was the Soaps of Warrington, who owned a successful soap factory in the late 19th century.

While the SOAP surname has its roots in England, it eventually spread to other parts of the world through emigration and migration. Today, the name can be found in various countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, where descendants of English and Scottish SOAP families have settled over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Soap

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

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

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

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