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

Peiper, 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 Peiper surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Peiper in America

Peiper is the 100302nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Peiper surname appeared 180 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 Peiper.

We can also compare 2010 data for Peiper 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 Peiper

The surname Peiper is of German origin, originating in the regions of Bavaria and Austria during the late medieval period. It is believed to derive from the Middle High German word "pfifer," which means "piper" or "flautist." This suggests that the name may have originated as an occupational surname for someone who played a pipe or flute.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, Bavaria, where a certain Hans Peiper was mentioned in 1437. The name also appeared in various other German-language records and manuscripts from the 15th and 16th centuries, often spelled as "Pfeifer" or "Pfeiffer."

In the 17th century, the surname Peiper began to appear in records from other parts of Europe, such as the Netherlands and France, where it was likely introduced by German immigrants or merchants. This suggests that the name had already gained some prominence and spread beyond its original geographic boundaries.

One notable historical figure with the surname Peiper was Joachim Peiper, a German military officer who served during World War II. He was born in 1915 in Berlin and became infamous for his role in the Malmedy massacre, where American prisoners of war were executed by troops under his command. Peiper was convicted of war crimes after the war and died in 1976.

Another individual with the surname Peiper was Friedrich Peiper, a German philosopher and historian who lived in the 19th century (1806-1876). He is known for his works on philosophy and history, particularly his lectures on ancient history.

In the realm of literature, the German writer and poet Johanna Peiper (1785-1858) gained recognition for her romantic poetry and novels, which were popular in the early 19th century.

Other notable figures with the surname Peiper include the German painter and engraver Johann Peiper (1667-1743), who was active in the Baroque period, and the Austrian botanist and physician Johann Peiper (1797-1858), who made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy.

While the surname Peiper may have originated as an occupational name related to music, it has since become a well-established surname in various parts of Europe, particularly in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. Its history spans several centuries and has been associated with individuals from diverse fields, including military, philosophy, literature, art, and science.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Peiper

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

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

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

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