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

Lepe, 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 Lepe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lepe in America

Lepe is the 8458th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lepe surname appeared 3,904 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 Lepe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lepe 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 Lepe

The surname Lepe originates from the Greek word "lepos," meaning rock or cliff. It is believed to have first emerged in the region of Lepe, a coastal town in the province of Huelva, Spain, during the 13th century.

The earliest known record of the name Lepe can be found in a medieval manuscript from the year 1285, which mentions a landowner named Juan de Lepe residing in the town of the same name. This document suggests that the surname was likely derived from the place name, as was common practice during that period.

In the 14th century, the name Lepe appears in several historical records, including the "Libro de Repartimiento de Sevilla," a census-like document that recorded the distribution of properties and lands in the city of Seville after its reconquest from the Moors in 1248. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Lepe, indicating that the name had already spread beyond its place of origin.

One notable figure in the history of the Lepe surname was Pedro Lepe, a Spanish navigator and explorer born in Lepe, Huelva, in the late 15th century. He is believed to have accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493 and is credited with being one of the first Europeans to set foot on the island of Puerto Rico.

During the 16th century, the Lepe surname gained prominence in Spain, with several members of the family holding important positions within the Spanish monarchy. One such individual was Hernando de Lepe, who served as a royal treasurer during the reign of King Philip II in the mid-1500s.

The name Lepe also found its way to the Americas during the Spanish colonization. In the 17th century, there are records of individuals with the Lepe surname residing in various parts of the Spanish colonies, including Mexico and Peru. One notable figure was Francisca de Lepe, a settler in the Viceroyalty of Peru, who was granted land in the region of Cusco in the early 1600s.

As the Lepe surname spread throughout the Spanish-speaking world, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Lepi, Lepé, and Lepez. However, the original spelling of Lepe remained the most prevalent.

Throughout history, the surname Lepe has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including explorers, nobility, and landowners. While not as widespread as some other Spanish surnames, it continues to be a distinct and identifiable name with roots tracing back to the coastal town of Lepe in southern Spain.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lepe

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

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

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

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