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

Taper, 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 Taper surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Taper in America

Taper is the 50275th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Taper surname appeared 416 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 Taper.

We can also compare 2010 data for Taper 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 Taper

The surname Taper is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "tapor," which referred to a maker of candles or tapers. The name would have been an occupational surname given to those who worked in the trade of producing candles or torches.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Taper can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, a record from the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire in 1273 mentions a Hugo le Tapere, indicating the presence of this occupational surname at the time.

One notable reference to the surname Taper can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1379, where a William Taper is listed as paying taxes. This suggests that individuals with this surname were established in the county of Yorkshire during the late medieval period.

In the 15th century, records show a John Taper who was a member of the Guild of Wax Chandlers in the city of London, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and the occupation of candle-making.

Several notable individuals throughout history have borne the surname Taper. One example is William Taper (1557-1628), an English clergyman who served as the Dean of Arches and Master of the Faculties during the reign of King James I.

Another prominent figure was John Taper (1675-1741), a British merchant and Member of Parliament who represented the borough of Southwark in the House of Commons during the early 18th century.

In the 19th century, a notable individual with this surname was Sir Thomas Taper (1821-1897), a British industrialist and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of the city of Manchester.

The surname Taper has also been found in various place names throughout England, such as Taper's Green in Hertfordshire and Taper's Hill in Oxfordshire, further indicating the historical presence of individuals with this occupational surname in different regions of the country.

While the surname Taper is not among the most common surnames in England today, its history and connection to the ancient craft of candle-making make it a fascinating example of an occupational surname that has endured for centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Taper

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

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

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

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