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

Tope, 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 Tope surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tope in America

Tope is the 18007th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tope surname appeared 1,550 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 Tope.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tope 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 Tope

The surname Tope is believed to have originated in England, potentially dating back to the 13th century. It is likely derived from an Old English or Middle English word meaning "hill" or "hilltop," suggesting that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive surname to someone who lived near a prominent hill or elevated area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tope can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, where a person named William del Tope is mentioned. This suggests that the name may have initially been spelled with the prefix "del" or "de la," indicating a connection to a specific place or location.

During the medieval period, the name Tope appeared in various records and documents across different regions of England. For example, in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, a Robert de la Tope is listed among taxpayers. This variation in spelling, with the addition of the preposition "de la," further reinforces the potential geographic origin of the name.

Over time, the name Tope may have been associated with certain place names or locations that shared a similar root or meaning. For instance, some historians have suggested a connection between the surname Tope and the village of Tope in Shropshire, which could have been derived from the Old English word "top" meaning "hilltop" or "summit."

Notable individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Tope include:

1. John Tope (c. 1530-1595), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Provost of King's College, Cambridge, from 1590 until his death.

2. Edward Tope (c. 1617-1675), an English minister and author who wrote several religious works, including "The Olive Branch" and "A Modest Plea for an Equal Commonwealth."

3. William Tope (c. 1680-1745), a prominent English businessman and merchant who established a successful trading company in London during the early 18th century.

4. Mary Tope (1752-1832), an English writer and poet known for her collection of poems titled "Poetical Trifles," published in 1790.

5. Sir Robert Tope (1823-1901), a British military officer who served in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery in combat.

These examples illustrate the long-standing presence of the surname Tope throughout various periods of English history, as well as its potential roots in geographic locations and its association with notable figures from different walks of life.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tope

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

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

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

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