2000
#5,407
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,928
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.20
Rare Last name
Carper
An occupational surname referring to someone who makes or sells carpets or rugs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,487 Americans carry the last name Carper. That puts it at #5,875 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 52,837 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carper 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 Carper with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.5K
1 in 52,837
Census rank
#5,875
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,657 bearers of the surname Carper in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5875th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carper, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Carper
The surname Carper has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "creopere," which referred to a person who crawled or crept, possibly a reference to their occupation or physical stature.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are records of individuals with the surname Carper or similar spellings such as Creper and Crepor. These early spellings reflect the variations in pronunciation and spelling that were common during that time period.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Carper was Robert le Creper, who lived in Derbyshire, England, in the 13th century. Another notable bearer of the name was John Carper, a merchant from London who was mentioned in records from the 14th century.
The surname Carper has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Carperby in North Yorkshire, which may have influenced the development of the surname in certain regions.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Carper. One example is Sir William Carper (1566-1638), an English politician and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was John Carper (1725-1801), a British soldier who served in the American Revolutionary War.
In the literary world, the poet and playwright Thomas Carper (1590-1662) is remembered for his contributions to the English Renaissance. Additionally, the architect and designer William Carper (1702-1780) left his mark on various buildings and monuments in London.
It is worth noting that the surname Carper has also been found in other parts of Europe, such as Germany and the Netherlands, where it may have originated independently or been influenced by migration patterns.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carper
Among Census respondents with the surname Carper, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Carper 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 Carper surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 4,988
- Black or African American4.3% · 241
- Two or more races4.2% · 237
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 134
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carper
Carper 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
#5,773
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,002
+74 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 2.03
Rank movement Down 366 places
2020
#5,875
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,657
-345 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 1.89
Rank movement Down 102 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,407 | 5,928 | 2.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,773 | 6,002 | 2.03 | +74 bearers (+1.2%) | Down 366 places |
| 2020 | #5,875 | 5,657 | 1.89 | -345 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 102 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 Carper 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 | #5,773 | #5,875 | -1.8% |
| Count | 6,002 | 5,657 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.03 | 1.89 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carper bearers went from 6,002 to 5,657 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 102 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,773 to #5,875.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Carper
FAQ
Carper surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carper?
Name Census estimates that about 6,487 living Americans carry the surname Carper. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 52,837 residents.
How common is Carper?
Carper ranks #5,875 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.89 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 5,657 people with the surname Carper. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,487), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.89 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 Carper.
Has Carper become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carper went from 6,002 recorded bearers to 5,657. That is a decrease of 345 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,773 to #5,875.
What does the Census say about the background of Carper?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carper, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Carper in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (4,988 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carper appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Black (4.3%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Carper (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 Carper mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who makes or sells carpets or rugs. 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 Carper (1.89 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 Carper?
You can see how many people have the last name Carper on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.