2000
#9,159
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,275
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.21
Rare Last name
Topping
An English occupational surname referring to someone who lived on or near the top of a hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,696 Americans carry the last name Topping. That puts it at #9,635 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 92,737 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Topping 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 Topping with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 92,737
Census rank
#9,635
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,223 bearers of the surname Topping in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9635th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Topping, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Black (8.5%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Topping
The surname Topping has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "topping," which referred to a person who lived at the top of a hill or a high point. This occupational surname would have initially been used to identify someone's place of residence or work.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Topping surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the late 12th century, where a person named William Topping is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also contain references to individuals with the surname Topping in various counties across England.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name appeared in various forms, including Toppinge, Toppyng, and Toppynge, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that time. These variations often corresponded to regional dialects and local pronunciations.
The Topping surname has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One such individual was John Topping, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of York during the late 16th century. Another notable bearer of the name was Robert Topping, a renowned painter born in 1625 who was known for his portraits and landscapes.
In the 18th century, the Topping family gained prominence in the county of Lancashire. Sir Samuel Topping, born in 1742, was a successful businessman and landowner who served as the High Sheriff of Lancashire in 1793. His son, also named Samuel Topping, continued the family's legacy and became a respected member of the local gentry.
Another individual of note was William Topping, who was born in 1793 and became a prominent figure in the field of mathematics and astronomy. He served as the Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy at the University of Cambridge from 1848 until his death in 1876.
While the Topping surname is predominantly English in origin, it has also been found in other parts of the British Isles and has spread to various regions through migration and settlement. The name has maintained its presence over the centuries, with various branches of the Topping family contributing to the rich tapestry of history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Topping
Among Census respondents with the surname Topping, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Black (8.5%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Topping 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 Topping surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.7% · 2,602
- Black or African American8.5% · 273
- Two or more races4.3% · 139
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 120
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 29
Timeline
Historical Census data for Topping
Topping 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
#9,496
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,423
+148 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Down 337 places
2020
#9,635
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,223
-200 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 139 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,159 | 3,275 | 1.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,496 | 3,423 | 1.16 | +148 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 337 places |
| 2020 | #9,635 | 3,223 | 1.08 | -200 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 139 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 Topping 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 | #9,496 | #9,635 | -1.5% |
| Count | 3,423 | 3,223 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.16 | 1.08 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Topping bearers went from 3,423 to 3,223 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 139 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,496 to #9,635.
FAQ
Topping surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Topping?
Name Census estimates that about 3,696 living Americans carry the surname Topping. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 92,737 residents.
How common is Topping?
Topping ranks #9,635 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.08 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 3,223 people with the surname Topping. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,696), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.08 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 Topping.
Has Topping become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Topping went from 3,423 recorded bearers to 3,223. That is a decrease of 200 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,496 to #9,635.
What does the Census say about the background of Topping?
Among Census respondents with the surname Topping, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Black (8.5%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Topping in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.7% (2,602 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Topping appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.7%), Black (8.5%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Topping (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 Topping mean?
An English occupational surname referring to someone who lived on or near the top of a hill. 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 Topping (1.08 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 many people have the last name Topping?
See how common the surname Topping is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.