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

Koeper, 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 Koeper surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Koeper in America

Koeper is the 88336th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Koeper surname appeared 210 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Koeper.

We can also compare 2010 data for Koeper 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 Koeper

The surname Koeper has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the medieval era. The name is derived from the Middle High German word "kuoper," which referred to a cooper, or a craftsman who made wooden vessels such as barrels and buckets. This occupational surname likely originated in regions where coopering was a prominent trade.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Koeper can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the 13th century. The records mention a certain "Conradus Kuoper" from the city of Cologne in the year 1278. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time.

In the 15th century, the name appeared in various forms, including "Kuper," "Koper," and "Kopper," reflecting regional spelling variations. One notable figure from this period was Hans Kopper, a master cooper from Nuremberg, who was mentioned in guild records from 1462.

As the name spread across German-speaking regions, it became associated with certain place names. For instance, the town of Köpenick, near Berlin, was once known as "Kuopenick" in the Middle Ages, possibly indicating a connection to the surname.

In the 16th century, the name Koeper gained wider recognition with the birth of Johann Koeper (1515-1578), a renowned theologian and reformer from Saxony. He was a contemporary of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.

Another notable figure was Katharina Koeper (1571-1644), a German midwife and author from Saxony, who wrote one of the earliest known manuals on midwifery in the German language.

As the centuries progressed, the Koeper surname continued to be found across various parts of Germany, with individuals making their mark in various fields. One such example is Johann Christoph Koeper (1727-1808), a German composer and organist from Hanover.

In the 19th century, the name gained global recognition with the birth of Emil Koeper (1848-1923), a German-American entomologist and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He made significant contributions to the study of insects and their classification.

While the surname Koeper has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through emigration and migration. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval era, when it was an occupational name for skilled coopers who crafted wooden vessels and barrels.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Koeper

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

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

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

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