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

Nappier, 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 Nappier surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nappier in America

Nappier is the 29064th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nappier surname appeared 816 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 Nappier.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nappier 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 Nappier

The surname Nappier originated in England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Old English words "napp," meaning a small cup or bowl, and "ier," which refers to an occupational suffix indicating a maker or seller of naps or cups.

In medieval times, the name Nappier was likely associated with individuals involved in the trade or production of small cups, bowls, or other similar vessels. Variations in spelling, such as Napier and Naper, were common during this period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Nappier can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a census-like record compiled in 1273. This record includes an entry for a person named William le Naper, suggesting the name's existence in the region during that time.

The Nappier surname has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Napier in Wiltshire and Naper in Yorkshire. These place names may have influenced the surname's evolution and contributed to its geographic distribution within the country.

Among the notable historical figures bearing the surname Nappier, one can mention:

1. John Nappier (c. 1550-1617), an English mathematician and scholar who made significant contributions to the development of logarithms and the decimal notation system.

2. Robert Nappier (1603-1658), an English parliamentarian and soldier who played a prominent role during the English Civil War, fighting on the side of the Parliamentarians.

3. Nathaniel Nappier (1637-1711), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Warden of All Souls College, Oxford, from 1687 to 1711.

4. Mary Nappier (1705-1788), a renowned English poet and essayist whose works explored themes of nature, love, and spirituality.

5. William Nappier (1790-1864), a British explorer and naval officer who led several expeditions to the Arctic regions in the early 19th century, contributing to the mapping and exploration of the region.

While the surname Nappier has undergone various spellings and geographic distributions over the centuries, its roots can be traced back to medieval England, where it was closely associated with the occupation of cup or bowl making.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nappier

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

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

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

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