Explore the Family Name Clapper
The meaning of Clapper
1. English (Yorkshire): topographic name from Middle English claper, generally denoting someone who lived by a rabbit warren. In southern counties, however, it often denoted a clapper bridge, a rough or natural bridge across a stream. The Devon clapper bridge, common on Dartmoor, was made of flat stones laid across stone pillars. Alternatively, a nickname for a chatterer, from Middle English claper ‘the tongue of a bell or of a noisy person’. 2. Americanized form of German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) Klapper ‘chatterer’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Clapper in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Clapper" showed a slight change between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Clapper was ranked as the 6,549th most common surname with a total count of 4,773, equating to 1.77 individuals per 100,000. By 2010, its rank slightly dropped to 6,822 and the total count rose to 4,944, indicating a growth rate of 3.58%. The proportion per 100,000 people also fell by 5.08%, showing that while the total number of people named Clapper increased, their overall representation in the population decreased.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,549 | #6,822 | -4.17% |
| Count | 4,773 | 4,944 | 3.58% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.77 | 1.68 | -5.08% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Clapper
Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the surname Clapper, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates a diverse range of origins. In 2000, the vast majority (95.73%) identified as White, with 1.19% identifying as Hispanic, 0.65% as Asian/Pacific Islander, 0.67% as Black, and 0.38% as American Indian and Alaskan Native. A small percentage (1.38%) identified with two or more races. By 2010, while the White ethnicity remained dominant at 93.47%, there were significant changes in other ethnic identities. The Hispanic identity saw an increase of 57.98%, followed by the Black identity with a 138.81% increase. The proportion of individuals identifying with two or more races also grew by 42.03%, while the Asian/Pacific Islander identity saw a moderate increase of 15.38%. Conversely, the proportion of American Indian and Alaskan Native fell by 10.53%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.73% | 93.47% | -2.36% |
| Two or More Races | 1.38% | 1.96% | 42.03% |
| Hispanic | 1.19% | 1.88% | 57.98% |
| Black | 0.67% | 1.6% | 138.81% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.65% | 0.75% | 15.38% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.38% | 0.34% | -10.53% |
Clapper ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Clapper is French & German, which comprises 42.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (36.9%) and Scandinavian (4.8%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Greek & Balkan.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 42.8% |
| British & Irish | 36.9% |
| Scandinavian | 4.8% |
| Other | 15.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Clapper
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Clapper have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 89.50% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 89.50% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 89.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 89.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 88.60% |
What Clapper haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Clapper is I-A427, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-A427 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include R-P312 and R-DF88, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Truax, Whitson, Cedeno, Santiago, Gould, Whiteley, France, Priest, Schott, Deluca.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Clapper surname are: H1, H, T2. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170Your maternal lineage may be linked to the nomadic Tuareg of the Sahara
Though haplogroup H1 rarely reaches high frequencies beyond western Europe, over 60% of eastern Tuareg in Libya belong to haplogroup H1. The Tuareg call themselves the Imazghan, meaning “free people.” They are an isolated, semi-nomadic people who inhabit the West-Central Sahara and are known today for a distinctive dark blue turban worn by the men, and for their long history as gatekeepers of the desert.How did women carrying H1 make it all the way from western Europe to this isolated community? They likely migrated from Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar into Morocco after the Last Ice Age, where they were assimilated into the Berbers of the Mediterranean coast. Then, about 5,000 years ago, the Sahara shifted from a period of relative habitable conditions to its dramatically arid desert environment. This shift may have caused migrations throughout the Sahara, prompting the ancient Tuaregs to meet and mingle with the Berbers, bringing H1 lineages into their population.
What do people with the surname Clapper have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Clapper" Surname 57.1%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Clapper" Surname 42.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Clapper" Surname 25.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Clapper" Surname 24.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Clapper?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Clapper are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition