Tarpley
A likely English surname that probably began as a place-name or family-name variant, later carried into the United States.
The #8,896 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 83,898 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Tarpley is most likely an English surname formed from a place-name or from an older surname variant that was transferred into family use. The first element may relate to an Old English or Middle English local name element, while the second element could reflect a personal-name or place-name ending that was later simplified in spelling and pronunciation. Because the name is uncommon and not securely tied to one well-attested medieval source form, its literal meaning remains uncertain.
History
The surname is found chiefly in English-speaking countries today, especially the United States, where it appears to have been established by the colonial or early post-colonial period. Like many uncommon surnames, it probably spread through one or a few family lines rather than through independent multiple origins. The modern spelling may reflect gradual phonetic simplification from an earlier local or regional form.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In modern U.S. records, Tarpley is uncommon but stable enough to be carried by several thousand people.