NameCensus.

UK surname

Capps

Derived from the Middle English word "cappe," referring to a maker or seller of caps or hats.

In the 1881 census there were 617 people recorded with the Capps surname, ranking it #5,702 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 596, ranked #8,758, down from #5,702 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Burton Latimer and Watlington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hambleton, Boston and Waveney.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Capps is 761 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.4%.

1881 census count

617

Ranked #5,702

Modern count

596

2016, ranked #8,758

Peak year

1911

761 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Capps had 617 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,702 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 596 in 2016, ranked #8,758.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 761 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Capps surname distribution map

The map shows where the Capps surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Capps surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Capps over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 326 #7,136
1861 historical 335 #7,610
1881 historical 617 #5,702
1891 historical 611 #6,291
1901 historical 725 #6,108
1911 historical 761 #5,680
1997 modern 621 #7,952
1998 modern 638 #8,020
1999 modern 626 #8,196
2000 modern 635 #8,074
2001 modern 623 #8,048
2002 modern 647 #7,980
2003 modern 615 #8,169
2004 modern 617 #8,178
2005 modern 580 #8,470
2006 modern 574 #8,564
2007 modern 579 #8,585
2008 modern 579 #8,636
2009 modern 598 #8,620
2010 modern 604 #8,749
2011 modern 604 #8,647
2012 modern 599 #8,618
2013 modern 605 #8,691
2014 modern 598 #8,822
2015 modern 597 #8,772
2016 modern 596 #8,758

Geography

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Where Capps' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Burton Latimer, Watlington and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hambleton, Boston and Waveney. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 Burton Latimer Northamptonshire
3 Watlington Norfolk
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hambleton 004 Hambleton
2 Boston 006 Boston
3 Waveney 006 Waveney
4 Waveney 004 Waveney
5 Waveney 012 Waveney

Forenames

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First names often paired with Capps

These lists show first names that appear often with the Capps surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Capps

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Capps, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Capps surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Capps household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Capps is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Capps is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Capps falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Capps is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Capps, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Capps

The surname Capps is believed to have originated in England, with its roots traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "cappe," which referred to a type of hooded cloak or cape worn by medieval peasants and farmers. This connection suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptive surname, given to someone who was known for wearing such a garment.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Richard Cappe." This document, compiled during the reign of King Edward I, was a survey of landholdings and feudal obligations throughout England. The presence of the name in this record indicates that the Capps surname had already established itself by that time.

In the 14th century, the name was also documented in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, where it appeared as "John Cappe." These rolls were tax records used to collect subsidies from the populace to support the king's military campaigns. The inclusion of the name in these historical documents underscores its longevity and prevalence throughout medieval England.

As time passed, the spelling of the name evolved, with variants such as "Cappes" and "Capps" becoming more common. This evolution likely occurred due to regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling conventions in those times. The modern spelling of "Capps" is believed to have emerged in the 16th or 17th century.

Notable individuals bearing the Capps surname include Sir William Capps (1589-1649), an English politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1628. Another prominent figure was John Capps (1668-1737), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious treatises and sermons.

In the 19th century, William Capps (1805-1873) gained recognition as a prominent English architect, responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. John the Evangelist in Waterloo.

Samuel Capps (1824-1901) was an American businessman and politician from Virginia, who served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates during the Reconstruction era after the American Civil War.

More recently, Michael Capps (born 1972) is an American video game developer and former president of Epic Games, known for his contributions to popular game franchises like Gears of War and Unreal Tournament.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Capps families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Capps surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Suffolk leads with 125 Capps' recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.05x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 125 17.05x
Norfolk 116 12.54x
Middlesex 82 1.36x
Lincolnshire 72 7.48x
Northamptonshire 47 8.30x
Yorkshire 41 0.69x
Surrey 30 1.02x
Kent 28 1.36x
Nottinghamshire 16 1.97x
Essex 12 1.01x
Derbyshire 8 0.85x
Devon 8 0.64x
Lancashire 7 0.10x
Monmouthshire 7 1.61x
Hampshire 5 0.41x
Northumberland 4 0.45x
Cornwall 3 0.44x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.52x
Sussex 2 0.20x
Gloucestershire 1 0.08x
Hertfordshire 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lowestoft in Suffolk leads with 95 Capps' recorded in 1881 and an index of 274.33x.

Place Total Index
Lowestoft 95 274.33x
Burton Latimer 30 877.19x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 29 52.20x
Great Grimsby 14 22.92x
Bromley London 13 9.82x
Deal 13 74.20x
Kessingland 12 474.31x
St Marylebone London 12 3.73x
Catton 11 709.68x
Bury St Edmunds St James 10 51.07x
West Dereham 9 775.86x
Westminster St Margaret 9 31.00x
Branston 8 271.19x
Northwold 8 322.58x
Stoke Damerel 8 9.12x
Watlington 8 625.00x
West Ham 8 3.05x
Claypole 7 500.00x
Hammersmith London 7 4.72x
Kensington London 7 2.09x
Lambeth 7 1.33x
Limehouse London 7 10.59x
Llanvihangel Llantarnam 7 84.34x
Camberwell 6 1.56x
Etton 6 2142.86x
Glinton 6 740.74x
Great Yarmouth 6 7.83x
Heckington 6 163.93x
Morley St Botolph 6 1034.48x
Stapenhill 6 42.77x
Canterbury St Mary 5 36.28x
Chelsfield 5 255.10x
Cottam 5 2272.73x
Donington 5 144.93x
Gorleston 5 26.85x
Hardingham 5 462.96x
Horncastle 5 50.35x
New Sealford 5 252.53x
Norwich St George Colegate 5 148.37x
Norwich St Mary At Coslany 5 188.68x
Wendling 5 675.68x
Bathley 4 1142.86x
Belchford 4 396.04x
Downham Market 4 62.89x
Islington London 4 0.69x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 4 14.40x
North Meols 4 5.72x
Nottingham St Mary 4 1.91x
Portsea 4 1.65x
Terrington St Clement 4 95.69x
Bradwell 3 147.06x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 3 21.80x
Horningtoft 3 681.82x
Kingston On Thames 3 4.26x
Linthorpe 3 8.43x
Luddesdown 3 535.71x
Newington 3 1.35x
North Elmham 3 133.33x
Norwich St Martin At Oak 3 53.29x
Reigate Foreign 3 9.45x
South Lynn 3 28.74x
Southwark St Saviour 3 9.70x
Spalding 3 15.71x
Wereham 3 236.22x
West Bradenham 3 476.19x
Wiggenhall St Mary Virgin 3 454.55x
Chelsea London 2 1.10x
Elswick 2 2.80x
Falmouth 2 8.29x
Fincham 2 122.70x
Hackney London 2 0.59x
Leeds 2 0.59x
Norwich St Paul 2 36.10x
Putney 2 7.29x
Sheffield 2 1.05x
South Kyme 2 183.49x
St Martin In Fields 2 5.55x
St Maryle Wigford 2 26.74x
Stokesley 2 53.76x
Swineshead 2 63.29x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Capps surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 36
Sarah 27
Elizabeth 19
Emma 19
Ann 14
Ellen 10
Charlotte 9
Alice 8
Edith 8
Hannah 8
Eliza 7
Jane 7
Susan 7
Catherine 6
Fanny 6
Martha 6
Clara 5
Florence 5
Frances 5
Rebecca 5
Emily 4
Louisa 4
Maria 4
Ada 3
Gertrude 3
Harriet 3
Lucy 3
Amelia 2
Annie 2
Caroline 2
Cicilia 2
Esther 2
Flora 2
Francis 2
Georgina 2
Harriett 2
Ida 2
Julia 2
Laura 2
Maud 2
Minnie 2
Rose 2
Selina 2
Cecelia 1
Elizh.M. 1
Elizth. 1
Ellenor 1
Hennritta 1
Hilda 1
Virginia 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Capps surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 37
William 36
George 27
James 21
Robert 16
Charles 14
Thomas 13
Frederick 12
Edward 6
Henry 6
Joseph 5
Richard 5
Albert 4
Alfred 4
Edmund 4
Herbert 4
Samuel 4
Wm. 4
Andrew 3
Chas. 3
Ernest 3
Arnall 2
Arthur 2
Austin 2
Daniel 2
Francis 2
Fred 2
Fredrick 2
Percy 2
Walter 2
Willm. 2
Earnest 1
Ed. 1
Fredck. 1
Geo. 1
Geo.Stanley 1
Hilder 1
Isaac 1
Jacob 1
Johnathan 1
Josep 1
Leonard 1
Mark 1
Marster 1
Matthew 1
Owen 1
Peter 1
Reginald 1
Rippon 1
Wm.J. 1

FAQ

Capps surname: questions and answers

How common was the Capps surname in 1881?

In 1881, 617 people were recorded with the Capps surname. That placed it at #5,702 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Capps surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 596 in 2016. That gives Capps a modern rank of #8,758.

What does the Capps surname mean?

Derived from the Middle English word "cappe," referring to a maker or seller of caps or hats.

What does the Capps map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Capps bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.