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

Salpeter, 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 Salpeter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Salpeter in America

Salpeter is the 134712th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Salpeter surname appeared 125 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 Salpeter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Salpeter 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 Salpeter

The surname Salpeter is of German origin, derived from the German word "Salpeter" which means "saltpeter" or "potassium nitrate". Saltpeter was a valuable commodity in the Middle Ages as it was a key ingredient in gunpowder production.

Salpeter is believed to have originated as an occupational surname, given to those involved in the mining, production, or trade of saltpeter. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 14th century in various German regions.

One notable early bearer of the name was Johann Salpeter, a German merchant who lived in the late 15th century. Historical records mention him as a prominent saltpeter trader in the city of Nuremberg.

In the 16th century, the Salpeter family established themselves as successful merchants and traders in the Hanseatic League, a powerful economic alliance of merchant guilds and market towns in Northern Europe.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, several members of the Salpeter family were involved in the mining and manufacturing of saltpeter, which was in high demand for the production of gunpowder used in warfare and mining operations.

One of the most prominent figures with this surname was Friedrich Wilhelm Salpeter (1712-1782), a German chemist and mineralogist who made significant contributions to the study of saltpeter and its applications in the chemical industry.

Another notable individual was Johann Christian Salpeter (1765-1842), a German geologist and mineralogist who conducted extensive research on the formation and extraction of saltpeter deposits.

In the 19th century, the Salpeter surname was also found among academics and intellectuals, such as Karl Salpeter (1825-1899), a German philosopher and writer who authored several works on ethics and morality.

While the surname Salpeter originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond due to migration and intermarriage. However, its roots can be traced back to the historical significance of saltpeter and the individuals involved in its production and trade.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Salpeter

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

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

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

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