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

Jasper, 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 Jasper surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jasper in America

Jasper is the 3687th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jasper surname appeared 9,632 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Jasper.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jasper 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 Jasper

The surname Jasper originated in England and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French name "Jasper", which itself comes from the Persian name "Caspar" or "Gaspar", one of the three wise men or kings who visited the newborn Jesus according to the Bible. The name is thought to have originated from the Persian word "Ganzabara", meaning "treasurer".

The Jasper surname is believed to have first appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this record, the name was spelled as "Iasper" and referred to a landowner or tenant in the county of Norfolk.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Jasper was Sir William Jasper, who lived in the 13th century and held lands in the county of Gloucestershire. Another notable early bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Jasper, a knight who fought in the Wars of the Roses during the 15th century.

In the 16th century, the Jasper surname was associated with the town of Jasper, located in the county of Staffordshire. This place name may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in some regions.

During the 17th century, a prominent member of the Jasper family was John Jasper (1616-1672), an English Puritan minister who served as the Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He was known for his controversial theological writings and his support for the Parliamentarian cause during the English Civil War.

Another notable figure was William Jasper (1750-1779), an American Revolutionary War hero who gained fame for his daring actions during the Siege of Savannah. He was born in South Carolina and is remembered for his bravery in retrieving the fallen flag of his regiment during the battle, an act that has been immortalized in numerous paintings and sculptures.

In the 19th century, one of the most famous individuals with the surname Jasper was Julia Jasper (1832-1901), an English author and poet known for her works on nature and rural life. She was born in Staffordshire and published several collections of poems, including "The Random Violets" and "The Poets' Birds".

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jasper

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

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

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

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