2000
#9,909
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,003
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.11
Rare Last name
Jepson
Son of Geoffrey or Geoff, derived from the personal name Gepp, a Middle English variant of the name Jeffrey.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,434 Americans carry the last name Jepson. That puts it at #10,239 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 99,812 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jepson 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Jepson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 99,812
Census rank
#10,239
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,995 bearers of the surname Jepson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10239th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jepson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jepson
The surname Jepson has its origins in Scandinavia, derived from the Old Norse personal name Ieppi or Ieppo. It is believed to have been introduced to England during the Viking invasions of the 9th and 10th centuries.
In its earliest form, the name was spelled as Iepson or Ieppeson, reflecting its Norse roots. As the language evolved, the spelling gradually changed to Jepson or Jeppson, which became more common in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lancashire.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jepson can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as a place name, "Iepesune," referring to a location in Yorkshire. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, the name Jepson gained prominence in various parts of England. Notable individuals bearing this surname include William Jepson, a 14th-century cleric and scholar from Yorkshire who served as the Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1370 to 1374.
In the 16th century, John Jepson (c. 1534-1594) was an English Puritan minister and author, best known for his work "A View of a Seditious Bull," published in 1588. He was a vocal critic of the Catholic Church and played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.
The 17th century saw the emergence of Ralph Jepson (1612-1678), an English mathematician and astronomer who made important contributions to the study of celestial mechanics. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society and served as the Savilian Professor of Astronomy at the University of Oxford from 1654 until his death.
In the 18th century, Edward Jepson (1737-1817) was a notable English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Yorkshire and Lancashire. His most famous work is the Leeds Parish Church, now known as Leeds Minster, which he designed in the Gothic Revival style.
Moving into the 19th century, Edgar Jepson (1863-1938) was a prolific English author and playwright who wrote over 50 novels and numerous plays. He was known for his works of historical fiction and adventure stories set in exotic locations around the world.
Throughout history, the surname Jepson has maintained a strong presence in various regions of England, particularly in the northern counties where it originated. While its spelling has evolved over time, the name's Scandinavian roots and connection to the Viking heritage of the region remain evident.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jepson
Among Census respondents with the surname Jepson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Jepson 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 Jepson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 2,753
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 109
- Two or more races3.0% · 91
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 20
- Black or African American0.5% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jepson
Jepson 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
#10,204
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,157
+154 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 295 places
2020
#10,239
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,995
-162 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 35 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,909 | 3,003 | 1.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,204 | 3,157 | 1.07 | +154 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 295 places |
| 2020 | #10,239 | 2,995 | 1.00 | -162 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 35 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 Jepson 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 | #10,204 | #10,239 | -0.3% |
| Count | 3,157 | 2,995 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.07 | 1.00 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jepson bearers went from 3,157 to 2,995 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 35 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,204 to #10,239.
FAQ
Jepson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jepson?
Name Census estimates that about 3,434 living Americans carry the surname Jepson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 99,812 residents.
How common is Jepson?
Jepson ranks #10,239 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,995 people with the surname Jepson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,434), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.00 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Jepson.
Has Jepson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jepson went from 3,157 recorded bearers to 2,995. That is a decrease of 162 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,204 to #10,239.
What does the Census say about the background of Jepson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jepson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Jepson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (2,753 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jepson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Jepson (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 Jepson mean?
Son of Geoffrey or Geoff, derived from the personal name Gepp, a Middle English variant of the name Jeffrey. 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 Jepson (1.00 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 people are called Jepson?
Find out how common the surname Jepson is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.