Earp
An old English surname probably from a byname meaning “swarthy” or “dark,” though its exact origin has been debated.
The #8,536 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 80,090 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The name is usually linked to Old English eorp, a word glossed in older surname studies as meaning dark, swarthy, or wolf-like in some interpretations. Some 19th-century writers also connected it with a personal-name element found in early Germanic names, but they did not treat the derivation as certain. In short, Earp is most likely an old descriptive nickname that later became hereditary.
History
The surname is recorded in England by the 16th century, with early forms such as Erpc and Earp. Older onomastic works note the name alongside related spellings like Orpe or Harp, suggesting variation in medieval and early modern records. The surname later remained chiefly English, and is best known in modern times through the American Earp family, including Wyatt Earp.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Nineteenth-century surname writers disagreed about Earp’s origin, and some admitted they could not explain it confidently.
From the historical record
“V. Hemshaw. Earp. — ? 1 cannot suggest any derivation of this name. 1561. William Erpc and Eliz. Brett: Marriage Lie. (London), i. 22.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)