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

Epling, 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 Epling surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Epling in America

Epling is the 15647th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Epling surname appeared 1,867 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Epling.

We can also compare 2010 data for Epling 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 Epling

The surname Epling is believed to have originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe during the medieval period. It is thought to derive from the Old German word "apling," which referred to a small apple or an apple tree. This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive surname, given to someone who lived near an apple orchard or who was associated with the cultivation of apples.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Epling can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical documents from the Anhalt region of Germany, dating back to the 13th century. In this text, the name is spelled "Aplingh," indicating its connection to the Old German word "apling."

The Epling surname later spread to other parts of German-speaking Europe, including Switzerland and Austria. In the 16th century, records show the name appearing in various forms, such as "Eplingen" and "Eplinger," reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation.

One notable figure bearing the Epling surname was Johannes Epling (1529-1608), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the spread of Protestantism in the region of Saxony. Another noteworthy individual was Christoph Epling (1609-1681), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Elector of Saxony.

As the Epling family migrated to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas, the surname underwent further changes in spelling and pronunciation. In the United States, the name Epling is most commonly found in states with significant German-American populations, such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Texas.

Among the notable individuals with the surname Epling in more recent history are John Epling (1872-1947), an American educator and politician who served as the 19th Governor of Arkansas, and William Epling (1897-1976), a World War I veteran and recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross for his bravery in combat.

Overall, the surname Epling has a rich history that can be traced back to its Germanic origins and the Old German word "apling," reflecting the influence of language, migration, and cultural exchange on the evolution of family names.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Epling

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

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

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

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