The Earp surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,855 people carried this name — #8,536 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 76,300 people counted. That is up 2% from 3,766 in 2000.

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In the first U.S. census, 1790

16 families named Earp, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 113 people lived in those households, 7.1 to a family on average. The table counts it together with one other spelling. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

North Carolina 9
Virginia 6
South Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 238 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Earp in American newspapers,
1900–1901.

Newspaper page from The Philipsburg Mail carrying the name Earp
The Philipsburg Mail 1901-07-26
Newspaper page from The Western News carrying the name Earp
The Western News 1901-07-17
Newspaper page from Decorah-posten carrying the name Earp
Decorah-posten 1900-08-07

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Earp in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1980s.

8,821 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Earp. The most, 2,991, date from the 1910s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 2.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 6,991
Victoria 986
Queensland 415
Western Australia 175
Tasmania 123
South Australia 96
ACT (Canberra) 5

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Earp.

Who carried it

People named Earp,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Nicholas Porter Earp
    Nicholas Porter Earp 1813–1907 · soldier
  • James Earp
    James Earp 1841–1926 · entrepreneur
  • Virgil Earp
    Virgil Earp 1843–1905 · police officer
  • Wyatt Earp
    Wyatt Earp 1848–1929 · politician
  • Morgan Earp
    Morgan Earp 1851–1882 · police officer
  • Thomas Earp 1830–1910 · politician

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Earp,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States267 records

267 records of the Earp name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 145
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 58
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 24
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 20
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 10
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 5
  • Sacramento County historic burials 3
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 2
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Ray Earp

    Born 1917 in Arkansas. Enlisted 1942 at Little Rock; meat cutter from Sebastian County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2001, buried at Fort Smith National Cemetery, Arkansas.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Michael Lee Earp

    Born 1948; from Grangeville, Idaho. U.S. Army, combat engineer; killed in action 1969 in Lam Dong, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Henry Earp

    Arrived at New York in 1874 aboard the Oceanic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 19; laborer. From England.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 267 records for Earp in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia142 records

142 records of the Earp name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 102
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 18
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 10
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 6
  • Tasmanian Names Index 5
  • State Library of Western Australia indexes 1
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Thomas Earp

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Earl St Vincent, arriving 1820; ticket of leave 1831. Native of Birmingham.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Earp

    Arrived in Victoria in 1886 aboard the Port Phillip, aged 18; British subject.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Alfred Earp

    House steward of Melbourne, Victoria; died 1919.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 142 records for Earp in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

United Kingdom7 records

7 records of the Earp name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 5
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 2
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Earp

    Lancashire Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record H. Earp

    King's Royal Rifle Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 2 of 7 records for Earp in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand4 records

4 records of the Earp name in New Zealand
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 3
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Earp

    Died 1915, aged 56; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record H. Earp

    New Zealand Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Harriet Earp

    Died 1912, aged 50; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Earp in New Zealand.

Counts: Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Canada2 records

2 records of the Earp name in Canada Canadian Virtual War Memorial
  1. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record William Henry Earp

    Died in service in 1917.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.
  2. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Ralph Neil Earp

    Died in service in 1944.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Counts: Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

When the index is not enough

This page says where Earp is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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