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

Tapscott, 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 Tapscott surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tapscott in America

Tapscott is the 18166th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tapscott surname appeared 1,532 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Tapscott.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tapscott 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 Tapscott

The surname Tapscott has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "tæppestre" and "cot," which together translate to "cottage of the female tapster." A tapster was an individual responsible for dispensing ale or other alcoholic beverages in a public house or tavern.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tapscott can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Tappecote." This suggests that the name was already established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

During the 13th century, the name evolved into various spellings, such as "Tappcott," "Tappecott," and "Tappecote," reflecting the regional dialects and variations in pronunciation at the time. These early spellings often referred to specific locations or properties associated with the name.

In the 14th century, the Tapscott family had established a presence in the counties of Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. The earliest known bearer of the name was William Tapscott, who was born in Gloucestershire around 1320. He was mentioned in local records as a prominent landowner and alderman in the town of Tewkesbury.

Another notable figure from this period was Sir John Tapscott (c. 1380-1452), a respected knight and military commander who served under King Henry V during the latter stages of the Hundred Years' War. He was present at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 and later served as the Sheriff of Gloucestershire.

Moving into the 16th century, the Tapscott family continued to establish themselves in various parts of England. One prominent member was Robert Tapscott (1525-1592), a wealthy merchant and landowner who served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1578.

In the 17th century, the Tapscott name gained further recognition with the birth of Sir William Tapscott (1625-1693), a renowned jurist and legal scholar. He held the esteemed position of Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer, the highest judicial office in the Exchequer Court, from 1686 until his death.

During the 18th century, the Tapscott family maintained their presence in various parts of England, with some members also migrating to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. One notable figure from this era was Captain James Tapscott (1745-1820), a naval officer who served with distinction in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tapscott

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

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

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

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