Explore the Family Name Apostol
The meaning of Apostol
1. American shortened form of Greek patronymics derived from the personal name Apostolos (see Apostolos). 2. Romanian, Hungarian, and Albanian: from the old personal name Apostol, an equivalent of Greek Apostolos (see Apostolos). In North America, this surname is probably also an altered form of the more common Albanian variant Apostoli, based on the definite form of the personal name. 3. Spanish (Apóstol): nickname for a pious or serious man or an actor representing the role of an apostle in medieval theater, from Greek apostolos ‘apostle’ (see Apostolos). Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Augusto, Emilio, Wilfredo, Angelito, Aurea, Cesar, Eduardo, Ernesto, Felipa, Filipina, Imelda, Javier.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Apostol in the United States?
The surname Apostol showed a notable increase in popularity from 2000 to 2010 based on the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, Apostol ranked 20,831 in popularity and rose to 18,177 by 2010, marking a change of 12.74 percent. The count for individuals with the Apostol surname also increased during this period from 1,178 to 1,531 – a rise of approximately 30 percent. Consequently, the proportion of Apostols per 100k people grew from 0.44 to 0.52, an increase of over 18 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #20,831 | #18,177 | 12.74% |
| Count | 1,178 | 1,531 | 29.97% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.44 | 0.52 | 18.18% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Apostol
In terms of ethnicity, those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander held the majority among those with the Apostol surname in both 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census figures. This group saw a slight increase from 59.34 percent to 61.85 percent. Those identifying with two or more races also experienced a significant rise, jumping from 2.89 percent to 4.77 percent. Conversely, the percentage of individuals identifying as White fell from 33.36 percent to 27.69 percent. The Hispanic representation also noted a substantial growth of 35.10 percent, while the percentages of those identifying as Black, American Indian and Alaskan Native remained at zero.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 59.34% | 61.85% | 4.23% |
| White | 33.36% | 27.69% | -17% |
| Hispanic | 4.16% | 5.62% | 35.1% |
| Two or More Races | 2.89% | 4.77% | 65.05% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |