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

Draper, 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 Draper surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Draper in America

Draper is the 1467th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Draper surname appeared 24,337 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Draper.

We can also compare 2010 data for Draper 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 Draper

The surname Draper is of English origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "drapier," which referred to someone who made or sold cloth, particularly wool. The first known record of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "drapario" in Essex.

In medieval times, the Draper surname was closely associated with the cloth and textile trade, which was a major industry in England. Many Drapers were members of the prestigious Drapers' Company, a livery company in the City of London that controlled the wool and cloth trade. The company can trace its roots back to the 12th century and was officially incorporated in 1364.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Draper was William Draper, who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1560. Another notable figure was Sir Christopher Draper (1579-1646), a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament during the reign of King Charles I. In the 17th century, the Draper family established themselves as landowners in Worcestershire, with Sir Erasmus Draper (1590-1674) being a prominent member of the gentry.

The Draper surname also has connections to various place names in England. For instance, there is a village called Draper's Field in Buckinghamshire, which likely derived its name from a person with the surname Draper. Additionally, there are records of variations in the spelling of the surname, such as Draper, Drapere, and Drapour, reflecting the evolution of the English language over time.

Some other notable individuals with the surname Draper include the following:

1. William Draper (1721-1787), a British military officer who served in the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War.
2. John William Draper (1811-1882), an American scientist, philosopher, and pioneer in the field of photochemistry.
3. Henry Draper (1837-1882), an American physician and astronomer who made significant contributions to astronomical photography.
4. Ruth Draper (1884-1956), an American actress and monologuist known for her character sketches.
5. Theodore Draper (1912-2006), an American historian and political writer who specialized in the study of the Cold War and American communism.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Draper

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

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 Draper 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 Draper 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 Draper was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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