Explore the Family Name Rapin

The meaning of Rapin

French: 1. derivative of Old French rapine ‘pillage’ (from Latin rapina), used as a nickname for a rapacious person or a thief. 2. alternatively, a variant of Rabin 2, a topographic name denoting residence on ravined terrain, ultimately of the same etymology as 1 above.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Rapin in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Rapin saw a decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Rapin ranked 65,862 in terms of commonality, but by 2010, it had dropped to a rank of 72,105, marking a 9.48% decrease in rank. The actual count of individuals with the Rapin surname also declined slightly from 281 in 2000 to 270 in 2010, a decrease of 3.91%. Accordingly, the proportion of the Rapin surname per 100k people decreased by 10%, from 0.1 in 2000 to 0.09 in 2010.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#65,862	#72,105	-9.48%
Count	281	270	-3.91%
Proportion per 100k	0.1	0.09	-10%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rapin

The Decennial U.S. Census data also reveals some shifts in the ethnic identity associated with the Rapin surname from 2000 to 2010. The majority identified as White, constituting 89.32% in 2000 and dropping slightly to 88.15% in 2010. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander experienced a decrease from 3.2% to 2.59%, while those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native increased from 4.98% to 5.56% over the same period. There was a noticeable increase in those identifying with two or more races, rising from 1.78% to 2.59%. However, no individuals with the Rapin surname identified as Hispanic or Black in either census year.

	2000	2010	Change
White	89.32%	88.15%	-1.31%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	4.98%	5.56%	11.65%
Asian/Pacific Islander	3.2%	2.59%	-19.06%
Two or More Races	1.78%	2.59%	45.51%
Hispanic	0%	0%	0%
Black	0%	0%	0%