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

Tharp, 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 Tharp surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tharp in America

Tharp is the 2619th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tharp surname appeared 13,757 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Tharp.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tharp 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 Tharp

The surname Tharp is of English origin and is believed to have derived from the Old English word "þorp," which means a small village or hamlet. The name is thought to have originated in the 8th or 9th century, during the Anglo-Saxon period in England.

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

The name Tharp was particularly prevalent in the northern counties of England, such as Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Northumberland. It is believed that many families with this surname can trace their origins back to these regions.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including "Thorp," "Thorpe," and "Therp." These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and differences in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time.

One notable bearer of the Tharp surname was John Tharp, a 16th-century English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Taunton in 1563. Another prominent figure was Sir William Tharp, who lived in the 17th century and was knighted for his service to the Crown.

In the United States, the Tharp surname gained prominence through individuals like Twyla Tharp, a renowned American dancer, choreographer, and author born in 1941. Van K. Tharp, born in 1945, is another well-known American figure, recognized for his contributions to the field of investment and trading psychology.

Other individuals with the Tharp surname who have left their mark on history include Samuel Tharp (1734-1791), an American revolutionary soldier, and James Tharp (1857-1941), a U.S. Congressman from Missouri.

The name Tharp has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Thorpe, a village in Derbyshire, and Thorpe-on-the-Hill, a village in Lincolnshire, further reinforcing its historical roots in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tharp

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

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

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

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