UK surname

Tapia

A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near or worked with mud walls or adobe.

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

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tapia is 102 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

Modern count

102

2016, ranked #30,722

Peak year

2016

102 bearers

Map years

2016 to 2016

Key insights

• The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016, ranked #30,722.
• The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Young Families.

Map

Tapia surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tapia surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Year

Loading map

Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Tapia 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
1997	modern	37	#33,964
1998	modern	39	#33,967
1999	modern	47	#33,320
2000	modern	40	#33,976
2001	modern	39	#33,923
2002	modern	45	#33,712
2003	modern	50	#33,362
2004	modern	45	#33,957
2005	modern	43	#34,328
2006	modern	51	#33,992
2007	modern	54	#34,042
2008	modern	56	#34,084
2009	modern	58	#34,144
2010	modern	66	#33,791
2011	modern	66	#33,768
2012	modern	76	#33,191
2013	modern	80	#33,058
2014	modern	87	#32,585
2015	modern	92	#32,075
2016	modern	102	#30,722

Geography

Where Tapias 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 Coventry, Barnet, Guildford, Croydon and Sefton. 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	Coventry 031	Coventry
2	Barnet 012	Barnet
3	Guildford 001	Guildford
4	Croydon 020	Croydon
5	Sefton 006	Sefton

Forenames

First names often paired with Tapia

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Recent female names

Maria Victoria Sally Suzanne Barbara Gloria Wendy Helen Arwa Heather

Recent male names

Carlos Luis Michael Spencer Shaun Sameer Andres Dalbir Anthony Adam

Modern profile

Neighbourhood profile for Tapia

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

Ethnically Diverse Young Families

Nationally, the Tapia surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Young Families, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Tapia 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 younger parents born overseas (particularly in Africa or EU countries) with children aged 0-4. Individuals identifying as of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities are also common. English may not be the primary language spoken. Accommodation consists principally of flats, and many properties are socially rented and/or overcrowded. Students are also present, unemployment is common, and other adults tend to work in low skilled jobs.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Tapia is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Tapia 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.

Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tapia falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tapia 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.

Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate: White - Other

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

Origin

Meaning and origin of Tapia

The surname Tapia originates from Spain, where it first appeared during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Spanish word "tapia," which means a mud wall or a fence made of earth or clay. This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with someone who lived near or worked with building or repairing such walls or fences.

The earliest recorded instances of the Tapia surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Spain, particularly in Castile and Aragon. One of the earliest documented individuals bearing this name was Pedro Tapia, who lived in the city of Seville in the late 13th century.

In the 15th century, the Tapia surname began to spread beyond Spain's borders as Spanish explorers and settlers ventured into the Americas. Notable individuals with this surname during this period include Juan de Tapia, a conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century.

The Tapia surname continued to gain prominence throughout the Spanish colonial era. Andrés de Tapia, born in 1550 in Mexico City, was a renowned architect and engineer who designed several important buildings in the Americas, including the Jesuit Church of Tepotzotlán in Mexico.

Another notable figure was Francisco de Tapia, a Spanish soldier and explorer born in the late 16th century. He played a significant role in the exploration and colonization of the Philippines, serving as the governor of the island of Mindanao from 1632 to 1636.

In the 19th century, Eugenio de Tapia, born in Spain in 1776, was a prominent military leader and politician. He served as the Captain General of Puerto Rico from 1822 to 1823 and later became the Minister of War for the Spanish government.

While the Tapia surname has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly in Latin American countries like Mexico, Argentina, and Chile, where it remains a common surname to this day.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Tapia surname: questions and answers

How common is the Tapia surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016. That gives Tapia a modern rank of #30,722.

What does the Tapia surname mean?