Explore the Family Name Cap
The meaning of Cap
1. Polish, Slovak, Rusyn (from Slovakia and Poland), and Jewish (from Ukraine); Hungarian (Cáp): from Polish and Slovak cap, Rusyn and Ukrainian tsap ‘he-goat’, and so probably a nickname for someone thought to resemble the animal in some way or perhaps a metonymic occupational name for a goatherd. Compare Czap. 2. Czech (Čáp): nickname for a tall or long-legged man, from čáp ‘stork’. Compare Chap and Czap. 3. Americanized form of Ukrainian and Rusyn Tsap, a cognate of 1 above. 4. Breton (also Le Cap) and French: from Breton kab and Occitan cap (from Latin caput) ‘head’ or, in the metaphorical sense, ‘chief’, also ‘promontory’. This may have been a topographic name for someone living on a promontory or headland, or a nickname for a stubborn person or for a person with something distinctive about his head, or perhaps a status name for a village elder. This surname is found mainly in Finistère, in Brittany. Compare Capp. 5. English (North Yorkshire): variant of Capp. 6. Americanized form of Dutch or German Kap, a cognate/variant of German Kapp. Some characteristic forenames: Polish Bazyli, Wasyl, Witold.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Cap in the United States?
According to the Popularity data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Cap ranked 26,738th in 2000 and dropped slightly to 27,783rd place by 2010, marking a decline of 3.91%. The total count of individuals with this surname increased slightly from 856 in 2000 to 865 in 2010, indicating a growth of 1.05%. However, the proportion of people named Cap per 100,000 decreased by 9.38% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #26,738 | #27,783 | -3.91% |
| Count | 856 | 865 | 1.05% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.32 | 0.29 | -9.38% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cap
The Ethnicity table from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals that the majority of individuals with the surname Cap identified as White, although this percentage decreased from 87.03% in 2000 to 82.08% in 2010. The second most common ethnic identity was Hispanic, which saw a significant increase from 7.24% to 11.33% during this decade. The proportion of people who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander also rose from 2.92% to 3.47%. Although less common, there was a notable increase in those identifying as Black, from 0.82% to 1.85%. Meanwhile, the number of people identifying as Two or more races and American Indian and Alaskan Native both fell to zero by 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 87.03% | 82.08% | -5.69% |
| Hispanic | 7.24% | 11.33% | 56.49% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 2.92% | 3.47% | 18.84% |
| Black | 0.82% | 1.85% | 125.61% |
| Two or More Races | 0.58% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.4% | 0% | 0% |