2000
#2,931
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,274
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.18
Uncommon Last name
Pepper
An occupational surname referring to a seller or grower of peppers, or a variation of the name Piper.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,205 Americans carry the last name Pepper. That puts it at #3,319 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,083 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pepper 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 Pepper with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 28,083
Census rank
#3,319
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,643 bearers of the surname Pepper in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3319th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pepper, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Black (5.3%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pepper
The surname Pepper is of English origin and is derived from the Old English word "pipor", which means pepper. It first emerged as an occupational name for someone who grew or traded pepper, a highly prized and expensive spice during medieval times.
The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the late 12th century, with one of the first bearers being William Piper, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195. This early spelling variation highlights the connection to the spice trade.
By the 13th century, the name had evolved to its modern spelling of Pepper, as evidenced by references to individuals such as Richard Pepper in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1278 and John Pepper in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296.
The Pepper surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Pepper Hill in Oxfordshire and Pepper Street in Chester, suggesting that some bearers of the name may have derived it from these locations.
One notable early bearer of the Pepper name was Sir Robert Pepper (c. 1460-1530), a wealthy merchant and alderman of London who served as Lord Mayor in 1522. He was involved in the spice trade and owned extensive properties in the city.
Another prominent figure was Roger Pepper (1561-1639), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Richmond during the reign of King Charles I. He played a significant role in the English Civil War and was a staunch Royalist.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Pepper family established themselves as landowners and gentry in various counties across England, including Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire.
In the literary world, Samuel Pepys (1633-1703), the famous diarist and Member of Parliament, is perhaps the most well-known bearer of the Pepper name, despite the slight variation in spelling.
Another notable individual was Robert Pepper (1713-1787), an English architect and surveyor who designed several churches and buildings in London and the surrounding areas.
Throughout history, the Pepper surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, politicians, architects, and writers, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those bearing this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pepper
Among Census respondents with the surname Pepper, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Black (5.3%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Pepper 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 Pepper surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.0% · 9,157
- Black or African American5.3% · 564
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 417
- Two or more races3.3% · 349
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 95
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 61
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pepper
Pepper 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
#3,178
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,374
+100 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 3.86
Rank movement Down 247 places
2020
#3,319
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,643
-731 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 3.56
Rank movement Down 141 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,931 | 11,274 | 4.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,178 | 11,374 | 3.86 | +100 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 247 places |
| 2020 | #3,319 | 10,643 | 3.56 | -731 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 141 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 Pepper 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 | #3,178 | #3,319 | -4.4% |
| Count | 11,374 | 10,643 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 3.86 | 3.56 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pepper bearers went from 11,374 to 10,643 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 141 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,178 to #3,319.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Pepper
FAQ
Pepper surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pepper?
Name Census estimates that about 12,205 living Americans carry the surname Pepper. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,083 residents.
How common is Pepper?
Pepper ranks #3,319 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.56 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,643 people with the surname Pepper. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,205), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.56 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Pepper.
Has Pepper become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pepper went from 11,374 recorded bearers to 10,643. That is a decrease of 731 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,178 to #3,319.
What does the Census say about the background of Pepper?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pepper, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Black (5.3%) and Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Pepper in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.0% (9,157 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pepper appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.0%), Black (5.3%), Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Pepper (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 Pepper mean?
An occupational surname referring to a seller or grower of peppers, or a variation of the name Piper. 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 Pepper (3.56 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 Americans have the surname Pepper?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.