2000
#11,250
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,580
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.96
Rare Last name
Topp
A surname of English origin, referring to someone who lived at the top of a hill or summit.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,764 Americans carry the last name Topp. That puts it at #12,315 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 124,007 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Topp 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 Topp with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 124,007
Census rank
#12,315
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,410 bearers of the surname Topp in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12315th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Topp, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.6%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Topp
The surname Topp is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "top" or "topp," which means "hilltop" or "summit." It is believed to have originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who lived on or near a hilltop or a prominent elevated location.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Topp can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there are entries for individuals with the surname Topp, such as William del Topp and Robert del Topp.
During the Middle Ages, the surname Topp was also found in various historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1327, where a Richard atte Toppe is mentioned. The "atte" prefix was commonly used at the time to indicate a location or descriptive name.
One noteworthy individual bearing the surname Topp was Sir William Topp, a renowned English lawyer and judge who lived during the 16th century (c. 1512 - 1572). He served as a Justice of the King's Bench and played a significant role in legal matters during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another prominent figure was Nicholas Topp, an English clergyman who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries (c. 1570 - 1640). He served as the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, and was a respected scholar and theologian of his time.
In the 17th century, the surname Topp was also found in various parts of Scotland, where it was sometimes spelled as "Tope" or "Topt." One notable Scottish individual with this surname was George Tope (c. 1630 - 1670), a merchant and burgess of Aberdeen.
The surname Topp has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Topp's Green in Hertfordshire and Topp's Farm in Lincolnshire. These place names likely originated from individuals or families bearing the surname Topp who resided in those areas.
Throughout history, the surname Topp has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including clergymen, lawyers, merchants, and landowners. While the surname may not be as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of English surnames, with its origins rooted in the old descriptive naming practices of medieval times.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Topp
Among Census respondents with the surname Topp, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.6%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Topp 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 Topp surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.6% · 2,063
- Black or African American5.6% · 135
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 100
- Two or more races3.5% · 84
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Topp
Topp 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
#12,121
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,572
-8 bearers (-0.3%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Down 871 places
2020
#12,315
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,410
-162 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 194 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,250 | 2,580 | 0.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,121 | 2,572 | 0.87 | -8 bearers (-0.3%) | Down 871 places |
| 2020 | #12,315 | 2,410 | 0.81 | -162 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 194 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 Topp 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 | #12,121 | #12,315 | -1.6% |
| Count | 2,572 | 2,410 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.87 | 0.81 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Topp bearers went from 2,572 to 2,410 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 194 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,121 to #12,315.
FAQ
Topp surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Topp?
Name Census estimates that about 2,764 living Americans carry the surname Topp. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 124,007 residents.
How common is Topp?
Topp ranks #12,315 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 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 2,410 people with the surname Topp. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,764), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 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 Topp.
Has Topp become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Topp went from 2,572 recorded bearers to 2,410. That is a decrease of 162 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,121 to #12,315.
What does the Census say about the background of Topp?
Among Census respondents with the surname Topp, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.6%) and Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Topp in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (2,063 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Topp appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.6%), Black (5.6%), Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Topp (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 Topp mean?
A surname of English origin, referring to someone who lived at the top of a hill or summit. 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 Topp (0.81 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 Topp?
You can see how many people are called Topp on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.