NameCensus.

UK surname

Karp

A surname of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "karpfe," meaning "carp" (the fish).

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnet, Elmbridge and Camden.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Karp is 122 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

115

2016, ranked #28,348

Peak year

2015

122 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016, ranked #28,348.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 29 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Karp surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Karp surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Karp 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 3 #32,890
1861 historical 29 #30,287
1891 historical 21 #32,526
1901 historical 5 #33,728
1911 historical 22 #31,030
1997 modern 72 #30,415
1998 modern 72 #30,775
1999 modern 71 #31,036
2000 modern 76 #30,578
2001 modern 75 #30,481
2002 modern 79 #30,499
2003 modern 82 #30,206
2004 modern 86 #30,019
2005 modern 88 #29,831
2006 modern 97 #28,793
2007 modern 99 #28,852
2008 modern 106 #28,016
2009 modern 97 #30,076
2010 modern 102 #29,930
2011 modern 101 #29,938
2012 modern 116 #27,550
2013 modern 121 #27,255
2014 modern 119 #27,813
2015 modern 122 #27,245
2016 modern 115 #28,348

Geography

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Where Karps are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnet, Elmbridge and Camden. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnet 014 Barnet
2 Elmbridge 008 Elmbridge
3 Barnet 028 Barnet
4 Camden 016 Camden
5 Elmbridge 011 Elmbridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Karp

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Karp

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Karp, 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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Karp surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Karp 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Karp is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Karp is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Karp falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Karp is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Karp

The surname KARP is of Polish origin, derived from the Slavic word "karp," which means "carp," a type of freshwater fish. This name likely originated as a descriptive surname in the Middle Ages, referring to someone who caught or sold carp.

The earliest recorded instances of the KARP surname can be traced back to the 15th century in Poland. It was common in the regions of Silesia and Greater Poland, particularly in the cities of Wroclaw, Poznan, and Krakow.

In the 16th century, the name KARP appears in several historical records, including the Metryka Koronna, a collection of documents from the Polish Crown Chancellery. One notable individual from this time was Jan Karp, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in Krakow in the late 1500s.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the KARP surname spread across Central and Eastern Europe, as Polish immigrants settled in neighboring regions. In Russia, the name was sometimes spelled as "Karpov," and in Germany, it took the form "Karpf."

One of the earliest known bearers of the KARP surname in Germany was Johann Karpf, a Lutheran pastor who lived in Nuremberg in the late 17th century (1645-1711). In the 18th century, Ignacy Karp (1715-1784) was a Polish philosopher and mathematician known for his contributions to the field of logic.

As the KARP surname spread across Europe, it also found its way to other parts of the world through immigration. In the United States, one of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Stanislaw Karp, a Polish immigrant who settled in Chicago in the late 19th century (1850-1921).

Another notable figure was Yosef Karp (1892-1962), a Russian-born Israeli chess player and composer who was one of the leading players in the early years of the Israeli chess scene. More recently, Richard Karp (born 1935) is an American computer scientist and mathematician, known for his contributions to the field of computational complexity theory.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Karp surname: questions and answers

How common is the Karp surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016. That gives Karp a modern rank of #28,348.

What does the Karp surname mean?

A surname of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "karpfe," meaning "carp" (the fish).

What does the Karp map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Karp 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.