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

Leeper, 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 Leeper surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leeper in America

Leeper is the 5281st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leeper surname appeared 6,593 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Leeper.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leeper 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 Leeper

The surname Leeper is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "leper," which originally referred to a person suffering from leprosy. In medieval times, lepers were often segregated and lived in leper colonies or hospitals specifically established for their care.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Leeper dates back to 1273 in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, where it appears as "le Lepere." This spelling variation highlights the name's connection to the disease, as those afflicted were often referred to as "lepers."

During the 14th century, the surname Leeper appeared in various historical records, including the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire in 1379, where a John le Lepere is mentioned. This document suggests that the name had spread beyond its initial regional boundaries.

In the 15th century, the name continued to evolve, with spellings such as "Leper" and "Lepere" appearing in records like the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1486, where a William Leper is documented. This variation in spelling was common in earlier times due to the lack of standardized orthography.

One notable figure bearing the surname Leeper was Sir Ralph Leeper (1530-1594), a prominent English naval commander and explorer who played a crucial role in the maritime explorations of the late 16th century. He is remembered for his voyages to the West Indies and his service under Sir Francis Drake.

Another significant individual was John Leeper (1645-1723), an English Puritan minister and author who served as the rector of Truro in Cornwall. He is best known for his work "A Vindication of the Principles and Practices of the Moderate Divines and Laity of the Church of England."

In the 18th century, the surname Leeper appeared in various parish records across England, including the baptism of Thomas Leeper in 1712 in St. Giles, Cripplegate, London, and the marriage of Robert Leeper and Elizabeth Holt in 1767 in Eccleston, Lancashire.

One noteworthy figure from this period was William Leeper (1767-1843), an Irish-born mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics. He served as the Astronomer Royal of Ireland from 1828 until his death.

Jumping forward to the 19th century, we find George Leeper (1830-1904), a British colonial administrator who served as the Lieutenant Governor of the North-West Provinces in British India from 1886 to 1892. He played a crucial role in the administration of the region during a period of significant social and economic transformation.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leeper

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

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

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

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