2000
#7,403
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,150
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.54
Rare Last name
Looper
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of hoops, such as those used for barrels.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,433 Americans carry the last name Looper. That puts it at #8,203 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,319 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Looper 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.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 77,319
Census rank
#8,203
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,866 bearers of the surname Looper in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8203rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Looper, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Black (7.2%) and Two or More Races (7.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Looper
The surname Looper originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "loppere," which referred to a runner or messenger. This suggests that the name may have been initially given as an occupational surname to individuals who worked as messengers or couriers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Looper can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Records of 1379, where a John Loper is mentioned. Another early reference is in the Lancashire Assize Rolls of 1482, which document a William Loper. These historical records provide evidence of the surname's existence and usage during the late medieval period in northern England.
The Looper surname is also found in various spellings in early records, such as Loper, Lopper, and Lopere. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects, scribal errors, or personal preferences in spelling. The name's evolution over time highlights the fluidity of surnames during the Middle Ages.
One notable individual with the surname Looper was Sir William Looper (1564-1623), a successful merchant and alderman from the City of London. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1601 and was knighted by King James I in recognition of his contributions to the city.
Another historical figure was John Looper (1703-1777), a British clergyman and scholar who served as the Archdeacon of Winchester from 1751 until his death. He was known for his theological writings and his involvement in religious affairs during the 18th century.
In the realm of literature, Thomas Looper (1775-1825) was a prominent English poet and writer. He gained recognition for his pastoral poetry and his contributions to the Romantic literary movement of the early 19th century.
Moving to the Americas, we find Samuel Looper (1785-1863), an American farmer and politician who served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates in the early 1800s. He was actively involved in local politics and community affairs during his lifetime.
Lastly, Mary Looper (1838-1921) was a notable educator and advocate for women's rights in the United States. She founded one of the first schools for African American children in Mississippi and played a significant role in promoting education and social progress in the post-Civil War era.
These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of individuals who carried the Looper surname throughout history, spanning various fields and regions across multiple centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Looper
Among Census respondents with the surname Looper, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Black (7.2%) and Two or More Races (7.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Looper 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 Looper surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.3% · 3,065
- Black or African American7.2% · 280
- Two or more races7.2% · 277
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 147
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 75
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Looper
Looper 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
#7,486
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,451
+301 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 1.51
Rank movement Down 83 places
2020
#8,203
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,866
-585 bearers (-13.1%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Down 717 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,403 | 4,150 | 1.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,486 | 4,451 | 1.51 | +301 bearers (+7.3%) | Down 83 places |
| 2020 | #8,203 | 3,866 | 1.29 | -585 bearers (-13.1%) | Down 717 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 Looper 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 | #7,486 | #8,203 | -9.6% |
| Count | 4,451 | 3,866 | -13.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.51 | 1.29 | -14.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Looper bearers went from 4,451 to 3,866 (-13.1% change). The surname moved down 717 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,486 to #8,203.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Looper
FAQ
Looper surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Looper?
Name Census estimates that about 4,433 living Americans carry the surname Looper. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,319 residents.
How common is Looper?
Looper ranks #8,203 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,866 people with the surname Looper. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,433), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.29 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Looper.
Has Looper become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Looper went from 4,451 recorded bearers to 3,866. That is a decrease of 585 (-13.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,486 to #8,203.
What does the Census say about the background of Looper?
Among Census respondents with the surname Looper, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Black (7.2%) and Two or More Races (7.2%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Looper in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.3% (3,065 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Looper appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.3%), Black (7.2%), Two or More Races (7.2%). 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 Looper (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 Looper mean?
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of hoops, such as those used for barrels. 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 Looper (1.29 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 last name Looper?
Want to know how many people have the last name Looper? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.