Stapp
An English-language surname that likely began as a nickname or variant spelling tied to a stout step, stamp, or clap sound.
The #8,909 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 84,012 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Stapp is most likely a surname that grew out of a Middle English word or sound-pattern rather than a single fixed modern word. It may be related to forms of "stap" or "stappe," used in dialect for a step, stake, post, or similarly abrupt shape or action, and in some cases it may simply reflect a regional spelling of a nickname surname. Because early spellings were highly variable, the exact original sense is not certain.
History
The surname appears to be English in origin, though later bearers are also found in North America. Like many short surnames, it probably stabilized only after families moved between counties or emigrated, when spelling became fixed by clerks and ministers. Modern U.S. usage is relatively uncommon.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Short surnames like Stapp often have multiple possible starting points, so the same spelling can conceal more than one family history.