2000
#119,644
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Sipperley
A locational surname referring to a person from Sipperley, Derbyshire.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Sipperley. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sipperley 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Sipperley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sipperley, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sipperley
The surname Sipperley has its origins in England, emerging during the medieval period. The name is believed to derive from a place name, possibly a location in Lincolnshire or Yorkshire. The suffix "-ley" is a common element in English place names, indicating a clearing or meadow.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sipperley can be found in the Feet of Fines records from the reign of King John, dated around 1200 AD. These legal documents often provide valuable insights into the names and locations of individuals at the time.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, variations of the name, such as "Sipperlye" and "Sypperelye," appeared in various records, including tax rolls and parish registers, suggesting the name was well-established in certain regions of England.
In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the name Sipperley was John Sipperley, a merchant and landowner from York. Records indicate he was involved in trade with the continent and held substantial property in the city.
The 16th century saw the emergence of Thomas Sipperley, a scholar and clergyman who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Nottinghamshire from 1534 to 1562. His contributions to religious studies and local community life left a lasting impact.
In the 17th century, the name Sipperley became associated with the village of Sipperley in Derbyshire. It is believed that this place name may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in that region.
One remarkable individual from this era was Sir William Sipperley, a military officer who fought in the English Civil War. Born in 1620, he served under Oliver Cromwell and played a pivotal role in several battles, earning recognition for his bravery and leadership.
The 18th century witnessed the rise of Robert Sipperley, a renowned botanist and naturalist. Born in 1712 in Lincolnshire, he made significant contributions to the study of plant life and authored several influential works on the subject.
As the centuries passed, the Sipperley name continued to be prominent in various fields, including academia, arts, and public service, further enriching its legacy and historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sipperley
Among Census respondents with the surname Sipperley, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Sipperley 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 Sipperley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.0% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino12.5% · 15
- Two or more races4.2% · 5
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sipperley
Sipperley 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
#114,424
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 153
+19 bearers (+14.2%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 5,220 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-33 bearers (-21.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 27,625 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #119,644 | 134 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #114,424 | 153 | 0.05 | +19 bearers (+14.2%) | Up 5,220 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -33 bearers (-21.6%) | Down 27,625 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 Sipperley 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 | #114,424 | #142,049 | -24.1% |
| Count | 153 | 120 | -21.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sipperley bearers went from 153 to 120 (-21.6% change). The surname moved down 27,625 positions in the national ranking, going from #114,424 to #142,049.
FAQ
Sipperley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sipperley?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Sipperley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Sipperley?
Sipperley ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Sipperley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Sipperley.
Has Sipperley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sipperley went from 153 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 33 (-21.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #114,424 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Sipperley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sipperley, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Sipperley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.0% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sipperley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.0%), Hispanic (12.5%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Sipperley (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 Sipperley mean?
A locational surname referring to a person from Sipperley, Derbyshire. 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 Sipperley (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 common is the surname Sipperley?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Sipperley is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.