Explore the Family Name Topper
The meaning of Topper
1. English: occupational name from an -er derivative of Middle English toppen, topen, meaning either ‘to take the top off (something), to shave’ or ‘to put the top on something’. Topper could, for example, denote a barber, a sheep shearer, or a roofer, but there is no contextual evidence at present to settle the matter. However, there is no reason to suppose, as Reaney does, that a topper was ‘probably the one who put the “toppe” (i.e. the tuft of wool) on the distaff’. As McKinley points out, this was unlikely to give rise to a distinct occupation and in any case spinning was a female occupation, whereas all early examples of the surname belong to men. Compare Topp. 2. English: perhaps also a topographic name for someone who lived at the top of a hill (Middle English toppe + -er). 3. German (Töpper): variant of Toepfer. 4. German (mainly Töpper): habitational name from Topper, a place near Krossen, Brandenburg.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Topper in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Topper" underwent a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. Its rank fell from 10,898 in 2000 to 11,555 in 2010, a change of -6.03%. However, the count of people with this surname increased by 1.45% during the same period, from 2,681 to 2,720. The proportion per 100k declined by -7.07%, meaning that the surname became slightly less common relative to the overall population.
2000 | 2010 | Change | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | #10,898 | #11,555 | -6.03% |
Count | 2,681 | 2,720 | 1.45% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.99 | 0.92 | -7.07% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Topper
In terms of ethnicity, data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows some shifts in the distribution of the Topper surname. People identifying as White remained the majority holders of the surname, although their percentage fell slightly from 96.42% in 2000 to 94.67% in 2010. The biggest increase was seen among those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native, which nearly doubled from 0.26% to 0.51%. Significant growth was also observed among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Black, with increases of 59.46% and 59.70% respectively. The Hispanic population with the surname Topper also saw a rise, increasing from 1.16% to 1.62% over the decade.
2000 | 2010 | Change | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 96.42% | 94.67% | -1.81% |
Hispanic | 1.16% | 1.62% | 39.66% |
Two or More Races | 1.12% | 1.54% | 37.5% |
Black | 0.67% | 1.07% | 59.7% |
Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.37% | 0.59% | 59.46% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.26% | 0.51% | 96.15% |
Topper 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 Topper is French & German, which comprises 33.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (32.0%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (12.6%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Eastern European, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Greek & Balkan.
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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
---|---|
French & German | 33.4% |
British & Irish | 32.0% |
Ashkenazi Jewish | 12.6% |
Other | 22.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Topper
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 Topper have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
---|---|
Greater London, United Kingdom | 70.00% |
West Midlands, United Kingdom | 70.00% |
Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 70.00% |
Edinburgh, United Kingdom | 70.00% |
Merseyside, United Kingdom | 70.00% |
What Topper 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 Topper is O-F2415, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F2415 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include E-M183 and O-F2859, which are predominantly found among people with European and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Topper surname are: N, H, J1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Cham
One of the many populations harboring members of haplogroup O1b1a1a1a1 is the Cham ethnic group, a group of people who speak Austronesian languages in Mainland Southeast Asia. Austronesian languages make up a language family that is extremely large and widespread, comprising over 350 million people on islands such as Madagascar, Easter Island, and many others. However, Austronesian languages are less common on mainland Asia, with a notable exception being the Chamic language. Research suggests that ancestors of the Cham people migrated from Southeast Asian islands to the mainland around the year 500 BCE, and that early Cham populations quickly began mixing with indigenous southern Vietnamese populations. As a result, the Chamic language now has words that were borrowed from languages spoken by indigenous Vietnamese people. It is likely that an ancestral Kinh population was one of the populations that mixed with the Cham people shortly after their migration to mainland Asia.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Topper 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
Traits
Cheek Dimples
Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.
"Topper" Surname 46.2%
23andMe Users 37.6%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Topper" Surname 16.7%
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.
"Topper" Surname 21.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Topper?
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 Topper are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition