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

Peffer, 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 Peffer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Peffer in America

Peffer is the 17323rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Peffer surname appeared 1,632 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 Peffer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Peffer 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 Peffer

The surname Peffer originated in Germany, where it first appeared during the 13th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "pfeffer," meaning "pepper," which suggests that the name may have been initially given to a spice trader or someone associated with the pepper trade.

In its early days, the name was often spelled as "Pfeffer" or "Pfeffere" in various German regions. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 1295 Würzburg census records, which list a "Johann Pfeffer" as a resident of the city.

The name spread to other parts of Europe in the following centuries, undergoing various spelling variations. In England, it appeared as "Peffer" or "Peffere" in the 14th century, with records showing a "William Peffere" residing in Oxfordshire in 1379.

During the 16th century, the name gained prominence in the Netherlands, where it was often spelled as "Peffer" or "Pfeffer." One notable figure was Hans Peffer (1510-1578), a Dutch painter and engraver known for his intricate landscape paintings.

In the 17th century, the name made its way to Scotland, where it was recorded as "Peffer" or "Peffir." A notable bearer of the name was James Peffer (1639-1712), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1691.

As the name spread across Europe, it also appeared in various place names, such as Peffersweiler, a village in the Palatinate region of Germany, and Peffermill, a district in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Other notable individuals with the surname Peffer include:

1. Johann Peffer (1765-1825), a German violinist and composer.
2. George Peffer (1836-1907), an American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Senator from Kansas.
3. Nathaniel Peffer (1890-1964), an American journalist and political commentator.
4. Wilbur Peffer (1886-1942), an American film actor known for his roles in silent films.
5. Hans Peffer (1911-1999), a German-born American artist and sculptor.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Peffer

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

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

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

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