2000
#1,747
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,780
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.96
Uncommon Last name
Epps
Derived from the Middle English word "eppus," meaning a high, raised place or a cliff.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 21,673 Americans carry the last name Epps. That puts it at #1,863 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,815 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Epps 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 Epps with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
22K
1 in 15,815
Census rank
#1,863
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
19K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 18,900 bearers of the surname Epps in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1863rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Epps, the largest self-reported group is Black at 59.6%. The next largest groups are White (29.6%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Epps
The surname Epps originated in England, with its roots dating back to the medieval era. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the Old English word "epp" or "oepp," which means a small stream or a minor watercourse. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname likely lived near a stream or a small river.
During the Anglo-Saxon period, the use of locational surnames became increasingly common, as people began to adopt surnames based on the places where they resided. The Epps surname likely emerged from one of the numerous locations across England that contained a small stream or a brook, such as the village of Epps in Sussex.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Epps surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a Richard de Epp residing in Oxfordshire. This document serves as a valuable historical reference, providing evidence of the surname's existence and its geographical distribution during that era.
Another notable mention of the Epps surname appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1301, where a John Epps is recorded as a landowner. This ancient record further solidifies the surname's presence in England during the late 13th and early 14th centuries.
Among the notable individuals who bore the Epps surname throughout history is Sir George Epps (1530-1589), a prominent English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Tewkesbury during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another noteworthy figure was John Epps (1661-1736), an English Baptist minister and theologian, who played a significant role in the development of Baptist thought and theology during the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
In the realm of literature, Mary Ann Epps (1819-1868) was an English novelist and writer, known for her works such as "The Autobiography of a Working Man" and "The Experiences of a Governess."
The Epps surname has also been associated with notable figures in science and medicine. Sir John Epps (1805-1869) was an English physician and chemist, renowned for his contributions to the field of food science and his advocacy for public health reforms.
Lastly, John Epps Jr. (1825-1916) was an English horticulturist and botanist, known for his work on plant breeding and his role in introducing new plant species to the United Kingdom from various parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Epps
Among Census respondents with the surname Epps, the largest self-reported group is Black at 59.6%. The next largest groups are White (29.6%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Epps 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 Epps surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American59.6% · 11,262
- White29.6% · 5,591
- Two or more races5.8% · 1,094
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 683
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 185
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 85
Timeline
Historical Census data for Epps
Epps 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
#1,784
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,112
+1,332 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 6.82
Rank movement Down 37 places
2020
#1,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,900
-1,212 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 6.32
Rank movement Down 79 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,747 | 18,780 | 6.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,784 | 20,112 | 6.82 | +1,332 bearers (+7.1%) | Down 37 places |
| 2020 | #1,863 | 18,900 | 6.32 | -1,212 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 79 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 Epps 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 | #1,784 | #1,863 | -4.4% |
| Count | 20,112 | 18,900 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 6.82 | 6.32 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Epps bearers went from 20,112 to 18,900 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 79 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,784 to #1,863.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Epps
FAQ
Epps surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Epps?
Name Census estimates that about 21,673 living Americans carry the surname Epps. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,815 residents.
How common is Epps?
Epps ranks #1,863 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.32 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 18,900 people with the surname Epps. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (21,673), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.32 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Epps.
Has Epps become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Epps went from 20,112 recorded bearers to 18,900. That is a decrease of 1,212 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,784 to #1,863.
What does the Census say about the background of Epps?
Among Census respondents with the surname Epps, the largest self-reported group is Black at 59.6%. The next largest groups are White (29.6%) and Two or More Races (5.8%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Epps in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.6% (11,262 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Epps appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (59.6%), White (29.6%), Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Epps (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 Epps mean?
Derived from the Middle English word "eppus," meaning a high, raised place or a cliff. 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 Epps (6.32 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 many people have the surname Epps?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.