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

Raper, 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 Raper surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Raper in America

Raper is the 6952nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Raper surname appeared 4,825 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Raper.

We can also compare 2010 data for Raper 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 Raper

The surname Raper has its origins in the Middle Ages, originating from northern England and Scotland. It is derived from the Old English word 'rap', meaning a rope or cord. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a rope maker or seller.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Raper can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists a landowner named William Raper in Yorkshire. The name also appears in various medieval records and tax rolls from the 13th and 14th centuries in northern counties like Northumberland, Durham, and Lancashire.

In some instances, the surname Raper may have evolved from place names like Raper, a small village in the East Riding of Yorkshire, or Rapers Hill in Northumberland. The name could also be related to the Old Norse word 'hraap', meaning a heap or pile, potentially indicating an occupation or descriptor related to heaping or piling.

Notable individuals with the surname Raper throughout history include John Raper (1568-1616), an English politician who served as Mayor of Newcastle upon Tyne. Another prominent figure was Abraham Raper (1711-1733), a British naval officer and explorer who surveyed parts of the Pacific Northwest coast of North America.

In the literary world, there was Martha Raper (1736-1811), an English poet and playwright known for her works such as "The Innocents" and "The Gamester". A more recent figure was Sir Christopher Raper (1869-1947), a British civil servant who served as the Governor of the Bahamas and the Governor of North Borneo.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name in Scotland was John Raper, who was born in Edinburgh in the late 16th century and served as a merchant and burgess of the city.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Raper

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

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

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

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