2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sapperstein
A surname of German origin referring to someone associated with working with sapphires.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Sapperstein. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sapperstein surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Sapperstein in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sapperstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sapperstein
The surname Sapperstein originated in Germany during the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the occupation of a "sapper," which is a military engineer responsible for digging tunnels and trenches. The name may also have roots in the German word "sapp," meaning a spade or shovel.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sapperstein can be found in the Kirchenbücher, or church records, of the town of Bamberg in the year 1582, where a Johann Sapperstein is mentioned. These church records were essential in documenting births, marriages, and deaths during that time period.
In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the name Sapperstein was Hans Sapperstein (1623-1691), who was a renowned military engineer in the service of the Holy Roman Empire. He was credited with designing and overseeing the construction of several fortifications and defensive structures during the Thirty Years' War.
The Sapperstein name also appears in the 18th century, with the birth of Friedrich Sapperstein (1742-1819), a prominent philosopher and writer from the city of Leipzig. His works explored themes of ethics, morality, and the human condition, earning him recognition among scholars of his time.
In the 19th century, a notable Sapperstein was Johanna Sapperstein (1836-1912), a pioneering educator from the city of Berlin. She founded one of the first schools for girls in the region, advocating for equal educational opportunities for women during a time when such initiatives were rare.
Another significant figure with the Sapperstein surname was Karl Sapperstein (1869-1941), a renowned architect from the city of Munich. He was responsible for designing several iconic buildings and structures that still stand today, showcasing his innovative and intricate architectural style.
While the surname Sapperstein is not as common today as it once was, it carries a rich history and legacy, reflecting the contributions of individuals who bore this name across various fields, from military engineering to philosophy, education, and architecture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sapperstein
Among Census respondents with the surname Sapperstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Sapperstein bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Sapperstein surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 105
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sapperstein
Sapperstein appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-6 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,777 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-9 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,769 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 14,777 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 7,769 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Sapperstein surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #145,220 | #152,989 | -5.3% |
| Count | 114 | 105 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sapperstein bearers went from 114 to 105 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 7,769 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #152,989.
FAQ
Sapperstein surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sapperstein?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Sapperstein. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Sapperstein?
Sapperstein ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 105 people with the surname Sapperstein. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Sapperstein.
Has Sapperstein become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sapperstein went from 114 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Sapperstein?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sapperstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sapperstein in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sapperstein appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Sapperstein (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Sapperstein mean?
A surname of German origin referring to someone associated with working with sapphires. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Sapperstein (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Sapperstein?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.