2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Trapper
An occupational surname referring to someone who trapped animals for fur or food.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Trapper. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Trapper 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.
Bearers in the US
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Trapper in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Trapper, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Trapper
The surname Trapper originated in England and dates back to the early 13th century. It is an occupational surname derived from the Old French word "trapier," which means a maker of traps or snares for catching animals.
During the medieval period, trappers played a crucial role in providing furs and pelts for the textile industry and clothing. The name was first recorded in Shropshire, a county in the West Midlands region of England, where many early bearers of the name were involved in the trapping trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Trapper name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Shropshire from 1273, which mentions a Robert le Trappere. The use of the Norman French "le" prefix indicates that the name was of occupational origin.
In the 14th century, the Trapper surname appeared in various places across England, including Yorkshire, where a William Trapper was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. The name also appeared in Lincolnshire, with a John Trapper recorded in the Lincolnshire Subsidy Rolls of 1349.
Notable individuals with the Trapper surname include John Trapper (1570-1636), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, from 1618 until his death. Another prominent figure was William Trapper (1639-1717), an English merchant and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the city of Bristol in the late 17th century.
In the 18th century, the surname Trapper was found in various parts of England, including Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. One individual of note was Thomas Trapper (1712-1783), a wealthy landowner and magistrate from Gloucestershire who was involved in local politics and administration.
The Trapper surname also has a connection to the town of Trapper, located in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The town was likely named after an early settler or resident with the Trapper surname.
Other notable individuals with the Trapper surname include George Trapper (1821-1897), a British politician and industrialist who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Wolverhampton, and Charles Trapper (1856-1934), an English architect known for designing several notable buildings in London and other parts of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Trapper
Among Census respondents with the surname Trapper, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Trapper 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 Trapper surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 104
- Black or African American5.0% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.4% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Trapper
Trapper 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,507 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,484 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 9,507 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 4,484 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 Trapper 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 | #138,304 | #142,788 | -3.2% |
| Count | 121 | 119 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Trapper bearers went from 121 to 119 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 4,484 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #142,788.
FAQ
Trapper surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Trapper?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Trapper. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Trapper?
Trapper ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 119 people with the surname Trapper. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Trapper.
Has Trapper become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Trapper went from 121 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Trapper?
Among Census respondents with the surname Trapper, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.4%). 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 Trapper in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Trapper appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Black (5.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (3.4%). 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 Trapper (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 Trapper mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who trapped animals for fur or food. 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 Trapper (0.04 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 share the surname Trapper?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.