2000
#6,160
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.90
Rare Last name
Capers
An occupational surname for a picker or seller of the edible flower buds known as capers.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,251 Americans carry the last name Capers. That puts it at #6,052 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 54,832 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Capers 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
6.3K
1 in 54,832
Census rank
#6,052
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,451 bearers of the surname Capers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6052nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Capers, the largest self-reported group is Black at 76.7%. The next largest groups are White (14.8%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Capers
The surname Capers is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "caperis," which means "caper bush." This plant, also known as the Flinders rose, is native to the Mediterranean region and was likely introduced to England during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Capers surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Caperes." This suggests that the name may have been adopted by individuals who cultivated or traded in capers, or perhaps lived near areas where the caper bush grew abundantly.
During the Middle Ages, the surname Capers was primarily concentrated in the southern counties of England, particularly in regions with a strong Norman influence, such as Sussex and Kent. The earliest known bearer of the name was Richard Capers, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1203.
Over time, the surname underwent various spelling variations, including Capers, Cappers, Capars, and Caperis. These variations likely resulted from differences in local dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during that era.
One notable figure bearing the Capers surname was Sir William Capers (1542-1623), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Kent. He served as the Sheriff of Kent in 1592 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1603 for his contributions to the local community.
Another prominent individual was John Capers (1673-1746), a renowned horticulturist from Surrey. He is credited with introducing several new plant varieties to England and authored the influential work "The English Garden" in 1724, which became a standard reference for gardeners of the time.
In the 18th century, the Capers surname gained recognition through the exploits of Captain Thomas Capers (1737-1799), a British naval officer who distinguished himself during the American Revolutionary War. His daring exploits earned him the nickname "The Scourge of the Seas."
Moving into the 19th century, one cannot overlook the contributions of Reverend William Capers (1790-1855), a Methodist minister and missionary from South Carolina. He played a significant role in the expansion of Methodism throughout the Southern United States and was instrumental in establishing several educational institutions.
While the Capers surname may not be as common today as it once was, its history is deeply rooted in England's agricultural and maritime traditions, as well as its colonial ties with the Americas. The name serves as a reminder of the diverse cultural influences that have shaped the English language and its associated surnames over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Capers
Among Census respondents with the surname Capers, the largest self-reported group is Black at 76.7%. The next largest groups are White (14.8%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Capers 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 Capers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American76.7% · 4,180
- White14.8% · 805
- Two or more races5.1% · 277
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 159
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Capers
Capers 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
#5,974
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,759
+637 bearers (+12.4%)
Per 100,000 1.95
Rank movement Up 186 places
2020
#6,052
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,451
-308 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 1.82
Rank movement Down 78 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,160 | 5,122 | 1.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,974 | 5,759 | 1.95 | +637 bearers (+12.4%) | Up 186 places |
| 2020 | #6,052 | 5,451 | 1.82 | -308 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 78 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 Capers 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 | #5,974 | #6,052 | -1.3% |
| Count | 5,759 | 5,451 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.95 | 1.82 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Capers bearers went from 5,759 to 5,451 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 78 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,974 to #6,052.
FAQ
Capers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Capers?
Name Census estimates that about 6,251 living Americans carry the surname Capers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 54,832 residents.
How common is Capers?
Capers ranks #6,052 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,451 people with the surname Capers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,251), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Capers.
Has Capers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Capers went from 5,759 recorded bearers to 5,451. That is a decrease of 308 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,974 to #6,052.
What does the Census say about the background of Capers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Capers, the largest self-reported group is Black at 76.7%. The next largest groups are White (14.8%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Capers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.7% (4,180 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Capers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (76.7%), White (14.8%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Capers (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 Capers mean?
An occupational surname for a picker or seller of the edible flower buds known as capers. 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 Capers (1.82 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 Capers?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.