Find out how popular the last name Amper is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Amper.

Amper, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Amper surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Amper in America

Amper is the 112568th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Amper surname appeared 156 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Amper.

We can also compare 2010 data for Amper to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Amper

The surname Amper originated in Germany, with the earliest known records dating back to the late 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "ampfere," which referred to a type of wine or grape. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for someone involved in the production or trade of wine.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Amper can be found in the Bavarian town of Landshut, where a Johannes Amper was mentioned in tax records from 1293. In the following centuries, the name spread to other regions of southern Germany, particularly in areas with a strong wine-making tradition.

During the 15th century, the Amper surname appeared in various historical documents, including church registers and legal records. Notably, a Hanns Amper was listed as a citizen of Nuremberg in 1472, indicating that members of the family had established themselves in urban centers by that time.

In the 16th century, the name Amper gained prominence through the work of Johann Amper, a renowned Renaissance scholar and humanist born in Aichach, Bavaria, in 1492. Johann Amper was a prolific writer and theologian who corresponded with many of the leading intellectuals of his era, including Erasmus of Rotterdam.

Another notable figure bearing the Amper surname was Philipp Amper, a German composer and organist who lived from 1594 to 1642. Philipp Amper was a renowned musician in his time and served as the court organist to the Prince-Bishop of Eichstätt.

The Amper surname also had connections to various place names in southern Germany. For example, the Amper River, a tributary of the Isar River in Bavaria, was likely named after the family or vice versa. Additionally, the town of Ampfing, located near the Amper River, may have derived its name from the same source.

Other notable individuals with the Amper surname throughout history include:

1. Andreas Amper (1612-1680), a German painter and engraver known for his religious works.
2. Johann Baptist Amper (1718-1788), a German mathematician and physicist who made contributions to the study of electricity.
3. Maria Amper (1795-1871), a German Catholic nun and founder of the Sisters of the Most Holy Redeemer.
4. Franz Amper (1820-1892), a German politician and member of the Bavarian Parliament.
5. Eduard Amper (1859-1931), a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Munich.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Amper

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Amper.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Amper was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Amper has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Amper was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Amper, please contact us.

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