Klepper last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Klepper

An occupational surname for a maker or seller of wooden clogs or shoes.

Klepper, 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 Klepper surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Klepper in America

Klepper is the 13509th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Klepper surname appeared 2,245 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 Klepper.

We can also compare 2010 data for Klepper 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 13509 13925 -3.03%
Count 2,245 1,987 12.19%
Proportion per 100k 0.76 0.74 2.67%

The history of the last name Klepper

The surname Klepper is of German origin, deriving from the Middle Low German word "klepper," which referred to a small horse or a nag. This name likely originated as an occupational name for someone who worked with horses, such as a groom or a stable hand.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Klepper can be traced back to the 14th century in various regions of Germany. It was particularly prevalent in areas such as Westphalia, Lower Saxony, and the Rhineland.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name Klepper was Hans Klepper, a merchant who lived in the city of Cologne in the late 15th century. Records from the city archives mention his involvement in trade with the Hanseatic League.

In the 16th century, the name Klepper appeared in several historical documents, including the tax records of the town of Münster in Westphalia. These records list several families with the surname Klepper, indicating their presence in the region during that time.

During the 17th century, the Klepper name gained prominence in the town of Kalkar, located in the Lower Rhine region of Germany. One notable individual from this period was Johann Klepper (1625-1689), a respected theologian and author who wrote several works on Protestant theology.

The 18th century saw the rise of a prominent Klepper family in the city of Lübeck, a major trading center in northern Germany. This family produced several influential merchants and civic leaders, including Christoph Klepper (1718-1798), who served as a member of the city council.

In the 19th century, the Klepper surname spread to other parts of Europe and beyond. One notable figure was the German-American author and journalist Theodor Klepper (1815-1888), who emigrated to the United States and became a prominent voice in the German-American community.

As the name Klepper continued to spread, it was also associated with various place names and geographic locations. For example, the village of Kleppermühle in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate likely derived its name from an association with the Klepper surname.

Throughout its history, the Klepper name has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, and public figures. Some notable examples include the German painter Erich Klepper (1889-1962), the Austrian composer and conductor Karl Klepper (1904-1982), and the German politician Ewald Klepper (1926-2016), who served as a member of the Bundestag.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Klepper

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

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 Klepper was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 93.10% 2,090
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.45% 10
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 1.07% 24
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.45% 10
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.36% 53
Hispanic Origin 2.58% 58

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 Klepper has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 93.10% 95.32% -2.36%
Black 0.45% 0.30% 40.00%
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.07% 1.01% 5.77%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.45% 0.25% 57.14%
Two or More Races 2.36% 1.21% 64.43%
Hispanic 2.58% 1.91% 29.84%

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

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

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"Klepper last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/klepper-surname-popularity/.

"Klepper last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/klepper-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Klepper last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/klepper-surname-popularity/.

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