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

Hepner, 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 Hepner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hepner in America

Hepner is the 10772nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hepner surname appeared 2,961 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 Hepner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hepner 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 Hepner

The surname Hepner has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the Middle Ages, likely in the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the German word "hepner," which referred to a person who crafted or sold hops, an essential ingredient in the brewing of beer. This occupation-based surname suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were involved in the cultivation or trade of hops.

The name Hepner is found in various historical records from the German states, with some of the earliest known instances appearing in municipal archives and church registers from the 15th and 16th centuries. For example, a certain Hans Hepner is mentioned in a document from the city of Nuremberg, dated 1472.

In the late 16th century, the name Hepner was also recorded in the town of Reutlingen, located in what is now the state of Baden-Württemberg. The town's historical records from that period reference a family by the name of Hepner, which may have been involved in the local brewing industry.

Over the centuries, the surname Hepner has been subject to various spelling variations, such as Hepner, Heppner, Heppener, and Hepfner. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spellings common in earlier times.

One notable bearer of the Hepner surname was Johann Hepner, a German theologian and author who lived in the 17th century (1623-1683). He wrote several works on religious subjects and served as a pastor in various German towns.

Another figure of historical significance was Christoph Hepner, a German composer and organist who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries (circa 1570-1635). He is known for his contributions to the development of the chorale prelude, a musical form that became popular in Protestant church music during the Baroque period.

In the 19th century, a prominent Hepner was Friedrich Hepner, a German painter and engraver who was born in 1810 and died in 1886. He is particularly known for his landscape paintings and etchings depicting scenes from the Bavarian Alps.

Another notable individual with the surname Hepner was Karl Hepner, a German-American author and journalist who lived from 1872 to 1945. He emigrated to the United States in the late 19th century and worked as a writer and editor for various German-language publications in New York City.

While the Hepner surname is relatively uncommon today, it continues to hold a place in the historical records of Germany and other regions where German immigrants settled. The name serves as a reminder of the rich cultural heritage associated with the brewing industry and the skilled craftsmen who played a vital role in its development.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hepner

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

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

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

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