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

Walpole, 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 Walpole surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Walpole in America

Walpole is the 16450th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Walpole surname appeared 1,748 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 Walpole.

We can also compare 2010 data for Walpole 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 Walpole

The surname Walpole originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period. It is derived from the Old English words "wall" meaning "wall" and "pyll" meaning "stream" or "pool." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a stream or pool close to a wall or fortification.

One of the earliest records of the name Walpole can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Walpolam" in Norfolk. This suggests the name was already established in that region by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as "Wallepol," "Walepol," and "Walpole" in different county records across England. These variations in spelling were common during that period.

One notable early bearer of the name was John Walpole, who served as a member of parliament for Norfolk in the late 14th century. Another was Thomas Walpole, a merchant and landowner in Norfolk, who lived in the 15th century.

During the 16th century, the Walpole family became prominent in Norfolk, with several members holding influential positions. Sir Edward Walpole (1559-1637) was a courtier and diplomat who served under Queen Elizabeth I and King James I.

In the 18th century, Sir Robert Walpole (1676-1745) was a prominent figure in British politics, serving as the first Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1721 to 1742. His son, Horace Walpole (1717-1797), was a renowned writer and art historian, best known for his novel "The Castle of Otranto."

Another notable bearer of the surname was Ralph Walpole (1628-1703), a Jesuit priest and scientist who made significant contributions to the study of botany and horticulture.

Over the centuries, the Walpole surname has been associated with various place names in Norfolk, such as Walpole St. Peter, Walpole St. Andrew, and Walpole Highway, further reinforcing its origins in that region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Walpole

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

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

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

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