2000
#2,845
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,569
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.29
Uncommon Last name
Applegate
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near the gate of an apple orchard.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,989 Americans carry the last name Applegate. That puts it at #3,098 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,388 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Applegate surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Applegate with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,388
Census rank
#3,098
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,327 bearers of the surname Applegate in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3098th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Applegate, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Applegate
The surname Applegate is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "æppel" (meaning apple) and "geat" (meaning gate or opening). It is believed to have emerged in the 12th or 13th century as a topographic name, referring to an individual who lived near a gate or opening in an area known for its apple orchards or where apples were sold.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Applegate can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex, a historical record of taxation in England, dating back to 1195. This document mentions a "William de Apelgat," which is believed to be an early spelling variation of Applegate.
The surname Applegate is also mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, a tax record from 1296, where it appears as "Appelgate." This suggests that the name was well-established in the county of Sussex by the late 13th century.
In the 14th century, the surname Applegate appears in various forms, including "Apelgate" and "Appelgate," in records from various counties in England, such as Essex, Kent, and Lincolnshire.
One notable bearer of the Applegate surname was John Applegate, a member of the English Parliament who represented the borough of Westbury in Wiltshire in 1553.
Another prominent figure was Samuel Applegate (1620-1696), an early settler in the American colonies who arrived in New Jersey in 1677 and established a settlement along the Raritan River, which later became known as Applegate Plantation.
In the 18th century, John Applegate (1742-1836) served as a lieutenant in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, participating in several major battles, including the Battle of Monmouth.
The 19th century saw the rise of James Applegate (1830-1903), a prominent lawyer and politician from New Jersey who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1877 to 1879.
Lastly, one cannot overlook the contributions of Howard Applegate (1920-2006), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Applegate Farms organization, which is known for its commitment to sustainable and humane animal farming practices.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the Applegate surname throughout history, showcasing its enduring presence and the diversity of fields in which bearers of this name have made their mark.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Applegate
Among Census respondents with the surname Applegate, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Applegate bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Applegate surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 10,165
- Two or more races4.2% · 480
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 389
- Black or African American0.9% · 106
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 102
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 85
Timeline
Historical Census data for Applegate
Applegate appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,046
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,762
+193 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 3.99
Rank movement Down 201 places
2020
#3,098
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,327
-435 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 3.79
Rank movement Down 52 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,845 | 11,569 | 4.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,046 | 11,762 | 3.99 | +193 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 201 places |
| 2020 | #3,098 | 11,327 | 3.79 | -435 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 52 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Applegate surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,046 | #3,098 | -1.7% |
| Count | 11,762 | 11,327 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 3.99 | 3.79 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Applegate bearers went from 11,762 to 11,327 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 52 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,046 to #3,098.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Applegate
FAQ
Applegate surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Applegate?
Name Census estimates that about 12,989 living Americans carry the surname Applegate. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,388 residents.
How common is Applegate?
Applegate ranks #3,098 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.79 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,327 people with the surname Applegate. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,989), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.79 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Applegate.
Has Applegate become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Applegate went from 11,762 recorded bearers to 11,327. That is a decrease of 435 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,046 to #3,098.
What does the Census say about the background of Applegate?
Among Census respondents with the surname Applegate, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Applegate in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (10,165 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Applegate appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Hispanic (3.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Applegate (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Applegate mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near the gate of an apple orchard. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Applegate (3.79 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Applegate?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Applegate on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.