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

Sleeper, 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 Sleeper surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sleeper in America

Sleeper is the 12012th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sleeper surname appeared 2,599 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Sleeper.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sleeper 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 Sleeper

The surname SLEEPER originated in England during the late medieval period. It derives from the Old English word "slæpere," which means "one who sleeps." This occupational surname was likely given to someone who worked as a night watchman or guard, or perhaps to someone who simply had a habit of sleeping excessively.

One of the earliest known records of the surname SLEEPER can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, which mention a John le Slepere. The use of the Norman-French prefix "le" before the occupational name was common during this time.

In the 14th century, the SLEEPER surname appeared in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, where a Thomas Sleper was recorded in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. The name also appeared in Gloucestershire, with a William Slepere mentioned in the Gloucestershire Subsidy Rolls of 1380.

During the 15th century, the surname began to take on its modern spelling of "SLEEPER." In the Suffolk Subsidy Rolls of 1524, a John Sleeper is listed, while the Hertfordshire Subsidy Rolls of 1543 mention a Thomas Sleeper.

One notable historical figure with the SLEEPER surname was Sir William Sleeper (c.1520-1587), an English Member of Parliament who served during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He represented the borough of Guildford in the Parliament of 1563-1567.

Another prominent individual was Thomas Sleeper (1614-1684), an early settler in New England who arrived in Boston in 1635. He later became a freeman of Salisbury, Massachusetts, and served as a selectman and deputy to the General Court.

In the 18th century, John Sleeper (1731-1808) was a Revolutionary War soldier from New Hampshire who fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Battle of Saratoga. He later settled in Vermont and became a successful farmer and landowner.

Samuel Sleeper (1792-1875) was a prominent businessman and politician from Massachusetts. He served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and was involved in various business ventures, including the construction of railroads and factories.

In the 19th century, Henry Sleeper (1819-1904) was a renowned architect and furniture designer from Boston. He is best known for his Gothic Revival style and his innovative furniture designs, which were influenced by medieval and Renaissance styles.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sleeper

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

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

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

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