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

Glasper, 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 Glasper surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Glasper in America

Glasper is the 11821st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Glasper surname appeared 2,647 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 Glasper.

We can also compare 2010 data for Glasper 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 Glasper

The surname Glasper has its origins in the Scottish Borders region, emerging in the 13th century. It derives from the Old English words 'glæs' meaning 'glass' and 'pere' meaning 'pear', suggesting an association with someone who worked with glassmaking or lived near a pear-shaped hill. The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears as 'Gilaspard' in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage pledges to Edward I of England.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir Thomas Glasper, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Records also indicate a William Glasper who owned land near Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders in the late 14th century. The Glasper family later expanded their presence across Scotland and into northern England.

In the 16th century, the name Glasper appears in various forms, such as 'Glaspere' and 'Glaspair', in parish records and court documents from the Scottish Borders region. Notably, John Glasper, a merchant from Hawick, is mentioned in the Burgh Records of Selkirk in 1573.

During the 17th century, the Glasper name gained prominence in the Scottish Lowlands. Robert Glasper (1620-1678), a Presbyterian minister from East Lothian, was a prominent figure in the Covenanter movement and was imprisoned for his religious beliefs. In the same period, a branch of the Glasper family settled in Northumberland, England, where they established themselves as landowners and farmers.

In the 18th century, the name spread further across the British Isles. James Glasper (1745-1820), a Scottish engineer, made significant contributions to the development of early steam engines and worked closely with James Watt. In England, William Glasper (1771-1843), a renowned landscape painter, gained recognition for his depictions of rural scenes and coastal landscapes.

As the 19th century unfolded, the Glasper name continued to be associated with notable individuals. Sir John Glasper (1803-1879), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist, made his fortune in the textile industry and funded the construction of several schools and hospitals in Glasgow. Across the Atlantic, Mary Glasper (1832-1902), an American educator, played a pivotal role in establishing one of the first schools for African American children in Mississippi during the Reconstruction era.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Glasper

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

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

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

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