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

Knepper, 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 Knepper surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Knepper in America

Knepper is the 8408th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Knepper surname appeared 3,930 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 Knepper.

We can also compare 2010 data for Knepper 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 Knepper

The surname Knepper is of German origin, with roots that can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German word "kneppe," which referred to a small hill or knoll. This suggests that the name was initially adopted by someone who lived near or on a small hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Bavarian town of Landshut, where a certain Johann Knepper was mentioned in a local registry from the year 1437. This indicates that the name was already in use in that region during the 15th century.

In the 16th century, the surname appears in various records from the German states of Saxony and Thuringia. For instance, a farmer named Hans Knepper was documented in the village of Groitzsch, near Leipzig, in 1564.

The Knepper surname also has a long history in the Rhineland region of Germany. In Cologne, a merchant named Peter Knepper was recorded in the city's trade records from 1587.

As the name spread across Germany in the following centuries, it evolved into various spellings, such as Kneper, Knapper, and Knöpper, reflecting regional dialects and variations in pronunciation.

Notable individuals with the surname Knepper include:

1. Johann Knepper (c. 1545-1612), a German composer and organist active in the late Renaissance period.
2. Wilhelm Knepper (1819-1898), a German-American immigrant who became a successful brewer and businessman in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
3. George Knepper (1873-1948), an American chemist and educator who served as the president of the University of Idaho from 1909 to 1914.
4. Eduard Knepper (1885-1967), a German architect known for his work in the Bauhaus style, including the design of several schools and public buildings in Berlin.
5. Paul Knepper (1932-2022), an American actor best known for his roles in television shows such as "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Diagnosis Murder."

While the Knepper surname has its origins in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through immigration to North America and other regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Knepper

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

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

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

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