2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Epper
A Germanic surname referring to one from the region of Eppingen, Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Epper. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Epper 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Epper in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Epper, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Epper
The surname Epper is believed to have originated in Germany, likely in the 16th or 17th century. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Eppe," which referred to a plant or shrub. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for someone who worked with plants or shrubs, such as a gardener or herbalist.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Epper is found in the town of Erbach, located in the state of Hesse, Germany. The name appears in church records from the late 16th century, indicating that the Epper family had established roots in the region by that time.
In the early 18th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Epper was Johann Georg Epper (1684-1757), a German architect and engineer. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings in the city of Darmstadt, including the Altes Palais and the Palace Chapel.
Another individual of note was Friedrich Epper (1786-1859), a German jurist and politician who served as a member of the Frankfurt National Assembly in 1848-1849. He was a proponent of liberal reforms and played a role in the drafting of the Frankfurt Constitution.
Moving into the 19th century, we find Carl Epper (1835-1908), a German botanist and explorer. He traveled extensively in South America, cataloging and studying the flora of the region. Several plant species were named in his honor, including the genus Epperia.
In the early 20th century, Fritz Epper (1891-1968) was a German artist and printmaker known for his woodcut and etching work. His artwork often depicted scenes of rural life and landscapes, capturing the beauty and simplicity of the German countryside.
Another notable figure was Hans Epper (1899-1981), a German-Swiss architect and urban planner. He was instrumental in the post-World War II reconstruction efforts in Switzerland and played a significant role in shaping the modern cityscapes of cities like Zurich and Basel.
While the surname Epper may not be among the most common, its origins can be traced back several centuries in Germany, with various individuals bearing the name making contributions in fields such as architecture, politics, botany, and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Epper
Among Census respondents with the surname Epper, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Epper 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 Epper surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 104
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Epper
Epper 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+5 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,292 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-3 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,387 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 4,292 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 4,387 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 Epper 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 | #142,108 | #146,495 | -3.1% |
| Count | 117 | 114 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Epper bearers went from 117 to 114 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 4,387 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #146,495.
FAQ
Epper surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Epper?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Epper. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Epper?
Epper ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 114 people with the surname Epper. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Epper.
Has Epper become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Epper went from 117 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Epper?
Among Census respondents with the surname Epper, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Epper in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Epper appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Epper (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 Epper mean?
A Germanic surname referring to one from the region of Eppingen, Germany. 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 Epper (0.04 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 share the surname Epper?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.