2000
#5,319
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,032
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.24
Rare Last name
Tapp
An English occupational surname referring to someone who made or sold candle wicks or drew beer from a cask.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,911 Americans carry the last name Tapp. That puts it at #5,569 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 49,595 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tapp 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 Tapp with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.9K
1 in 49,595
Census rank
#5,569
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,027 bearers of the surname Tapp in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5569th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tapp, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Black (11.8%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tapp
The surname Tapp is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the Old English word "tæppa," meaning "tap" or "spigot." This suggests that the name may have been occupational, referring to someone who worked with taps or spigots, perhaps in the brewing or winemaking industry.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Tapp can be found in various historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable mention is in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273, which lists a person named William Tappe. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire in 1327, with a reference to a John Tappe.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, the surname Tapp was particularly prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Herefordshire, possibly indicating a geographic concentration of the name's origins. Variations in spelling, such as Tappe, Tappes, and Tapper, were also common during this time.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Tapp surname was John Tapp, who was born in Gloucester around 1450. Records indicate that he served as a member of the city's council and held various positions of authority within the local government.
Another notable figure was Robert Tapp, a wealthy merchant from Bristol, born in 1520. He was a prominent member of the city's mercantile community and played a significant role in the trading and export of wool and cloth.
In the 17th century, the Tapp surname gained further recognition with the birth of John Tapp (1631-1692), a renowned English mathematician and astronomer. He served as the Savilian Professor of Geometry at the University of Oxford and made significant contributions to the fields of optics and celestial mechanics.
Another individual of historical importance was Sir George Tapp (1773-1853), a British naval officer who distinguished himself during the Napoleonic Wars. He earned several honors for his bravery and leadership, including being appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.
Lastly, mention should be made of Reverend Thomas Tapp (1805-1880), an influential Anglican clergyman and author. He served as the Vicar of Farningham in Kent and wrote several theological works, including a commentary on the Book of Revelation.
While the surname Tapp may have originated as an occupational name, it has since become widely dispersed throughout England and beyond, with many individuals bearing this name making notable contributions to various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tapp
Among Census respondents with the surname Tapp, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Black (11.8%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Tapp 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 Tapp surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.3% · 4,721
- Black or African American11.8% · 712
- Two or more races4.8% · 290
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 206
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 55
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 43
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tapp
Tapp 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
#5,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,186
+154 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 2.10
Rank movement Down 300 places
2020
#5,569
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,027
-159 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 2.02
Rank movement Up 50 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,319 | 6,032 | 2.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,619 | 6,186 | 2.10 | +154 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 300 places |
| 2020 | #5,569 | 6,027 | 2.02 | -159 bearers (-2.6%) | Up 50 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 Tapp 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 | #5,619 | #5,569 | 0.9% |
| Count | 6,186 | 6,027 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.10 | 2.02 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tapp bearers went from 6,186 to 6,027 (-2.6% change). The surname moved up 50 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,619 to #5,569.
FAQ
Tapp surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tapp?
Name Census estimates that about 6,911 living Americans carry the surname Tapp. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 49,595 residents.
How common is Tapp?
Tapp ranks #5,569 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.02 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,027 people with the surname Tapp. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,911), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.02 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Tapp.
Has Tapp become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tapp went from 6,186 recorded bearers to 6,027. That is a decrease of 159 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,619 to #5,569.
What does the Census say about the background of Tapp?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tapp, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Black (11.8%) 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 Tapp in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.3% (4,721 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tapp appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.3%), Black (11.8%), 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 Tapp (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 Tapp mean?
An English occupational surname referring to someone who made or sold candle wicks or drew beer from a cask. 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 Tapp (2.02 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 Tapp?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Tapp on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.