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

Napier, 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 Napier surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Napier in America

Napier is the 1872nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Napier surname appeared 19,182 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Napier.

We can also compare 2010 data for Napier 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 Napier

The surname Napier originated in Scotland during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English words "naeppierre" or "naepere," meaning a cup-bearer or butler. The name first appeared in records from the 12th century in the regions of Fife and Perthshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls rendered to Edward I of England. The name is listed as "Johannes le Napier," indicating its use as a surname during this period.

The Napier family rose to prominence in the 13th century, with their ancestral lands located in the parish of Kilmadock, near the town of Dunblane in Perthshire. Sir Alexander Napier (c. 1280-1347) was a notable figure who served as the Constable of Edinburgh Castle during the Wars of Scottish Independence.

The name is also associated with the historic Merchiston Tower in Edinburgh, which was owned by the Napier family in the 15th century. John Napier (1550-1617), a renowned Scottish mathematician and inventor, was born at Merchiston Tower and is celebrated for his contributions to the development of logarithms and other mathematical advancements.

Another prominent figure with the Napier surname was Sir Charles James Napier (1782-1853), a British military officer who played a significant role in the Conquest of Sindh in British India. His campaigns and victories earned him the nickname "Conqueror of Sindh."

In the literary world, Mark Napier (1798-1879) was a Scottish lawyer and author who wrote extensively on the history and biographies of Scottish figures, including the life of John Napier, the inventor of logarithms.

The name Napier has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Napier House in Edinburgh, a historic building that once housed the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Additionally, the town of Napier in New Zealand was named after Sir Charles Napier, the British military officer.

Throughout history, the Napier surname has been spelled in various ways, including Naper, Naiper, and Nayper, reflecting regional variations and linguistic influences. However, the current spelling of "Napier" became the standard form in the 16th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Napier

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

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

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

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