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

Piper, 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 Piper surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Piper in America

Piper is the 1607th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Piper surname appeared 22,329 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Piper.

We can also compare 2010 data for Piper 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 Piper

The surname Piper originated in Britain, likely taking root in the late 13th century or early 14th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English term "pipere," which referred to a player of the pipe or piper of music. The name became prominent as individuals took on these occupational roles during the medieval period.

Variations of the name spelling, such as Pyper and Piper, can be found in early English records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which documented individuals with this occupational title. The Pipe Rolls, a series of financial records from the medieval English Exchequer, also contain references to individuals with the surname Piper.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Piper can be traced back to Walter le Pipere, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296. Another early record is that of John le Pyper, found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301.

The surname Piper has been associated with various locations in England, including Piper's Hill in Leicestershire, Piper's Green in Hertfordshire, and Piper's Wood in Buckinghamshire. These place names likely derived from individuals with the Piper surname who resided or worked in those areas.

Notable individuals throughout history with the surname Piper include:

1. Thomas Piper (c. 1530-1616), an English composer and musician during the Renaissance period.
2. William Piper (1592-1671), an English theologian and author of several religious works.
3. Francis Piper (1628-1696), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Winchester.
4. Johann Ernst Piper (1777-1857), a German artist and printmaker known for his landscape etchings.
5. Carl Piper (1647-1716), a Swedish statesman and diplomat who served as the Lord High Chancellor of Sweden.

The Piper surname has a rich history rooted in the ancient occupation of pipe playing, and it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries, spanning the fields of music, literature, politics, and art.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Piper

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

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

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

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