2000
#9,317
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,212
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.19
Rare Last name
Tapley
Derived from a place name meaning "Tappa's meadow," referring to someone who lived near or owned such a meadow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,494 Americans carry the last name Tapley. That puts it at #10,083 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 98,098 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tapley 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Tapley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 98,098
Census rank
#10,083
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,047 bearers of the surname Tapley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10083rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tapley, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tapley
The surname Tapley is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from a place name, possibly Taplow in Buckinghamshire or Tapeley in Devon. The name may also be connected to the Old English words "tæppa" and "leah," meaning a meadow or woodland clearing.
One of the earliest known records of the name Tapley is found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a William de Tappelegh is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records maintained by the English government at the time.
In the 16th century, the surname appears in various spellings, including Tapley, Taplye, and Tappelegh, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling during that era. The Subsidy Rolls of 1524-1525 list a John Taplye from Gloucestershire.
The Tapley surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Richard Tapley (c. 1590-1670), an English civil servant and member of the Honourable Artillery Company in London.
In the 18th century, Benjamin Tapley (1718-1779) was a renowned clockmaker from Somerset, known for his intricate and precise timepieces. His clocks are now highly sought after by collectors.
Another notable figure was John Tapley (1782-1857), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He participated in several battles, including the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
Moving to the 19th century, we find John Tapley (1807-1889), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, such as the St. James's Church in Piccadilly.
In the 20th century, Samuel Tapley (1904-1985) was a prominent American politician and lawyer from New York. He served as a member of the New York State Assembly and was actively involved in various legal organizations.
The Tapley surname has been present in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Somerset, Devon, and Buckinghamshire, where the earliest records of the name can be found. It has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tapley
Among Census respondents with the surname Tapley, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Tapley 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 Tapley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.3% · 2,600
- Black or African American6.5% · 199
- Two or more races3.8% · 115
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 99
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tapley
Tapley 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
#9,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,264
+52 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Down 585 places
2020
#10,083
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,047
-217 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 181 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,317 | 3,212 | 1.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,902 | 3,264 | 1.11 | +52 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 585 places |
| 2020 | #10,083 | 3,047 | 1.02 | -217 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 181 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 Tapley 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 | #9,902 | #10,083 | -1.8% |
| Count | 3,264 | 3,047 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.11 | 1.02 | -8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tapley bearers went from 3,264 to 3,047 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 181 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,902 to #10,083.
FAQ
Tapley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tapley?
Name Census estimates that about 3,494 living Americans carry the surname Tapley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 98,098 residents.
How common is Tapley?
Tapley ranks #10,083 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 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 3,047 people with the surname Tapley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,494), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 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 Tapley.
Has Tapley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tapley went from 3,264 recorded bearers to 3,047. That is a decrease of 217 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,902 to #10,083.
What does the Census say about the background of Tapley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tapley, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Tapley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.3% (2,600 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tapley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.3%), Black (6.5%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Tapley (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 Tapley mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "Tappa's meadow," referring to someone who lived near or owned such a meadow. 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 Tapley (1.02 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 common is the surname Tapley?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Tapley? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.