2000
#20,778
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,182
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.44
Rare Last name
Jeppson
A Swedish surname derived from the personal name "Jeppe".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,672 Americans carry the last name Jeppson. That puts it at #18,687 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.49 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 204,997 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jeppson 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
1.7K
1 in 204,997
Census rank
#18,687
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,458 bearers of the surname Jeppson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.49 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 18687th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jeppson, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jeppson
The surname Jeppson has its origins in Sweden, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Swedish personal name "Jepp," which was a diminutive form of the name Jacob. The patronymic suffix "-son" was added to denote "son of Jepp."
The earliest recorded instances of the Jeppson surname can be found in historical parish records from various regions of Sweden, such as Västergötland and Småland. These records often mention individuals with the Jeppson name, although the spellings may have varied slightly due to regional differences and inconsistent record-keeping practices of the time.
One of the earliest known individuals with the Jeppson surname was Nils Jeppson, born in Kristdala, Småland, in the late 16th century. He was a farmer and landowner whose name appears in local land records from the early 17th century.
Another notable figure was Johan Jeppson, a merchant and ship owner from Gothenburg, who lived in the mid-18th century. He played a significant role in the city's maritime trade during that period.
In the 19th century, a prominent Jeppson was Carl Jeppson (1807-1878), a Swedish-American author and journalist. He immigrated to the United States in the 1850s and became a vocal advocate for Swedish immigrants' rights and cultural preservation.
In more recent history, Astrid Jeppson (1885-1972) was a Swedish painter and illustrator known for her vibrant depictions of rural life and landscapes. Her works were widely exhibited and celebrated during her lifetime.
Lastly, Gösta Jeppson (1910-1996) was a Swedish engineer and inventor who held numerous patents for innovative manufacturing processes and machinery. He played a crucial role in the development of Sweden's automotive and industrial sectors in the mid-20th century.
While the Jeppson surname has its roots in Sweden, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and intermarriage. However, the name's origins can be traced back to the Swedish personal name Jepp and the patronymic tradition that gave rise to this distinctive surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jeppson
Among Census respondents with the surname Jeppson, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Jeppson 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 Jeppson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 1,349
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 53
- Two or more races2.7% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 9
- Black or African American0.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jeppson
Jeppson 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
#19,551
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,381
+199 bearers (+16.8%)
Per 100,000 0.47
Rank movement Up 1,227 places
2020
#18,687
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,458
+77 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.49
Rank movement Up 864 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,778 | 1,182 | 0.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,551 | 1,381 | 0.47 | +199 bearers (+16.8%) | Up 1,227 places |
| 2020 | #18,687 | 1,458 | 0.49 | +77 bearers (+5.6%) | Up 864 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 Jeppson 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 | #19,551 | #18,687 | 4.4% |
| Count | 1,381 | 1,458 | 5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.47 | 0.49 | 3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jeppson bearers went from 1,381 to 1,458 (+5.6% change). The surname moved up 864 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,551 to #18,687.
FAQ
Jeppson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jeppson?
Name Census estimates that about 1,672 living Americans carry the surname Jeppson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 204,997 residents.
How common is Jeppson?
Jeppson ranks #18,687 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.49 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 1,458 people with the surname Jeppson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,672), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.49 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.49 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 Jeppson.
Has Jeppson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jeppson went from 1,381 recorded bearers to 1,458. That is an increase of 77 (+5.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #19,551 to #18,687.
What does the Census say about the background of Jeppson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jeppson, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Jeppson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (1,349 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jeppson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Jeppson (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 Jeppson mean?
A Swedish surname derived from the personal name "Jeppe". 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 Jeppson (0.49 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 common is the surname Jeppson?
You can see how many people have the surname Jeppson on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.