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

Reaper, 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 Reaper surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reaper in America

Reaper is the 78567th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reaper surname appeared 243 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 Reaper.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reaper 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 Reaper

The surname REAPER originates from England, with its earliest known recording dating back to the late 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "ripere," which referred to a person who harvested crops, particularly grains such as wheat and barley. This occupation-based surname likely emerged as a way to identify individuals by their trade or profession.

In medieval England, the reaping of crops was a crucial task during the harvest season, and those skilled in this labor were highly valued members of the agrarian community. The REAPER surname may have initially been bestowed upon individuals who excelled at this task or whose primary occupation was reaping crops for landowners or manors.

One of the earliest known records of the REAPER surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dated 1273, where a certain Robertus le Repere is mentioned. This early spelling variation, "Repere," highlights the evolving nature of surnames during that period.

As time passed, the REAPER surname continued to appear in various historical records across different regions of England. In the 14th century, a record from the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire mentions a John le Reper. Similarly, the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327 make reference to a Thomas le Reper.

Several notable individuals have borne the REAPER surname throughout history. One such figure was William Reaper, a prominent English merchant and alderman who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Another noteworthy bearer was Sir John Reaper (1600-1678), an English politician and member of Parliament during the English Civil War era.

In the realm of literature, the surname REAPER has also found representation. John Reaper (1608-1658), an English clergyman and author, is known for his work "The Complaint of the Husbandman," which provides valuable insights into the lives of farmers and agricultural practices of the time.

Moving into the 18th century, the REAPER surname continued to be found across various records and documents. For instance, the parish registers of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, record the baptism of a child named Elizabeth Reaper in 1723.

It is important to note that while the surname REAPER is undoubtedly of English origin, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and exploration, with bearers of the name now found in various countries and cultures.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reaper

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

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

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

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