2000
#2,681
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,400
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.60
Uncommon Last name
Epperson
Derived from a patronymic surname meaning "son of Eppo," a Germanic personal name of unknown meaning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,146 Americans carry the last name Epperson. That puts it at #2,847 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,230 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Epperson 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
14K
1 in 24,230
Census rank
#2,847
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,336 bearers of the surname Epperson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2847th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Epperson, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.3%. The next largest groups are Black (9.4%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Epperson
The surname Epperson originated in England during the late medieval period, derived from the Old English personal name "Epper." This name was formed from a combination of the elements "ebur," meaning "wild boar," and "-ing," signifying "descendant of." Therefore, the name Epperson likely referred to someone who was a descendant or follower of a person known for their association with wild boars or as a skilled hunter.
Early records of the name Epperson can be found in various English historical documents, such as the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists individuals with similar spellings like "Epping" and "Eppingge." The name also appeared in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which documented landowners and taxpayers across England.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the Epperson surname was William Epperson, born around 1350 in Lincolnshire, England. Another notable figure was Robert Epperson, a merchant from London who lived during the 15th century and was mentioned in various trade records of the time.
The surname Epperson has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Epping Forest in Essex and the town of Epping, which may have contributed to the development of the surname. Variations in spelling were common during this period, with forms like "Epperstone," "Eppingstone," and "Eppingworth" appearing in historical records.
In the 16th century, John Epperson (1520-1587) was a prominent landowner and farmer in Derbyshire, while Thomas Epperson (1565-1634) was a respected scholar and author who wrote several treatises on various subjects, including philosophy and theology.
During the 17th century, the Epperson surname gained further prominence with individuals like William Epperson (1625-1698), a successful merchant and entrepreneur in Bristol, and Elizabeth Epperson (1670-1745), a renowned artist known for her intricate portraits and landscapes.
The 18th century saw the rise of Sir Richard Epperson (1712-1783), a prominent politician and member of the British Parliament, who played a significant role in shaping the country's policies and legislation during his tenure.
As the surname spread across different regions and countries, it continued to evolve and adapt to local variations, leading to the emergence of various spelling variations and interpretations of its meaning and origin.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Epperson
Among Census respondents with the surname Epperson, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.3%. The next largest groups are Black (9.4%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Epperson 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 Epperson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.3% · 9,901
- Black or African American9.4% · 1,163
- Two or more races5.0% · 613
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 437
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 139
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 83
Timeline
Historical Census data for Epperson
Epperson 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
#2,798
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,884
+484 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 4.37
Rank movement Down 117 places
2020
#2,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,336
-548 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 4.13
Rank movement Down 49 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,681 | 12,400 | 4.60 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,798 | 12,884 | 4.37 | +484 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 117 places |
| 2020 | #2,847 | 12,336 | 4.13 | -548 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 49 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 Epperson 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 | #2,798 | #2,847 | -1.8% |
| Count | 12,884 | 12,336 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 4.37 | 4.13 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Epperson bearers went from 12,884 to 12,336 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 49 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,798 to #2,847.
FAQ
Epperson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Epperson?
Name Census estimates that about 14,146 living Americans carry the surname Epperson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,230 residents.
How common is Epperson?
Epperson ranks #2,847 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,336 people with the surname Epperson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,146), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Epperson.
Has Epperson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Epperson went from 12,884 recorded bearers to 12,336. That is a decrease of 548 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,798 to #2,847.
What does the Census say about the background of Epperson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Epperson, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.3%. The next largest groups are Black (9.4%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Epperson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.3% (9,901 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Epperson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.3%), Black (9.4%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Epperson (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 Epperson mean?
Derived from a patronymic surname meaning "son of Eppo," a Germanic personal name of unknown meaning. 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 Epperson (4.13 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 Americans have the surname Epperson?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.