The Pepper surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 11,374 people carried this name — #3,178 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 25,900 people counted. That is up 1% from 11,274 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Pepper surname

A surname originating as an occupation for a seller of pepper.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Pepper» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as an occupational name: ‘the pepperer’.

An early record he cites: Martin Peper, Huntingdonshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 597 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 10 births for the Pepper name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 400 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 5
Leinster 4
Munster 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 30 people named Pepper live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 30

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Pepper was found among the farmers of 3 counties.

It was most frequent in Suffolk: 18 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 556. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Suffolk 18
Leicestershire and Rutland 15
Lincolnshire 11

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

46 families named Pepper, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 264 people lived in those households, 5.7 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 2 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 15
Connecticut 6
Pennsylvania 6
Maryland 6
South Carolina 4
Virginia 3
Maine 2
New York 2
Vermont 1
North Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 257 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Pepper in American newspapers,
1855–1916.

Newspaper page from The St. Mary Banner carrying the name Pepper
The St. Mary Banner 1906-11-17
Newspaper page from The Sun carrying the name Pepper
The Sun 1916-12-10
Newspaper page from Southern Sentinel carrying the name Pepper
Southern Sentinel 1855-04-28

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 7,134 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Pepper in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

23,874 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Pepper. The most, 4,425, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Tasmania, at 2.1 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 10,664
Victoria 3,657
Tasmania 3,122
South Australia 3,050
Queensland 2,046
Western Australia 1,088
ACT (Canberra) 197
Northern Territory 27

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Pepper.

Who carried it

People named Pepper,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Pepper d. 1725 · politician
  • John Pepper d. 1725 · politician
  • Christopher Pepper d. 1635 · politician
  • William Pepper d. 1975 · editor
  • Mary Pepper d. 1753
  • Frederick William Pepper d. 1940

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Pepper,
in the records of 9 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,561 records

1,561 records of the Pepper name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 411
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 351
  • Other U.S. records 799
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Peter J. Pepper

    Born 1918 in Massachusetts. Enlisted 1943 at Springfield; driver. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1998, buried at Massachusetts Veterans' Memorial Cemetery, Agawam, Massachusetts.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Joseph Pepper

    Born 1921 in Cuba. Enlisted 1942 at Syracuse, New York; driver from Onondaga County, New York. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2000, buried at Woodlawn National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Pepi Pepper

    Arrived at New York in 1907 aboard the Pretoria from Hamburg, aged 48; presser. From Tarnopol, Austria; bound for New York. Born in Tarnopal, Austria.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,561 records for Pepper in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia574 records

574 records of the Pepper name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 278
  • Tasmanian Names Index 106
  • Other Australian records 190
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record John Pepper

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Anson, sailing from Plymouth in 1843. Native of Colchester, Essex. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1852. Married 1852 in Launceston, Tasmania, aged 44.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record James William Pepper

    Died 1915 in Launceston, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1915.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Florence Ethel Pepper

    Born 1870 in Launceston, Tasmania. Married 1896 in Launceston, Tasmania, aged 25.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 574 records for Pepper in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Canada85 records

85 records of the Pepper name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 27
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 23
  • Other Canadian records 35
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record G'o Pepper

    Came to Ontario in 1870 aboard the Tamer, landing at Quebec, bound for Hamilton, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Ralph Arthur Pepper

    Buried in 1997 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 88.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Lila Isabella Pepper

    Buried in 1977 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 67.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.

Showing 3 of 85 records for Pepper in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom45 records

45 records of the Pepper name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 30
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 12
  • Other British records 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Helen Pepper

    Buried in 1967 at Snowdon Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 69.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Eliza Pepper

    Buried in 1822 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 67.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Ivy Olive Pepper

    Will proved in 1930; of Llanelly.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)

Showing 3 of 45 records for Pepper in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Netherlands41 records

41 records of the Pepper name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 19
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 16
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 6
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Petrus Pepper

    Born 1831 in Nijmegen. Died 1853 in Nijmegen, aged 22; bargeman.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Joanna Pepper

    Married in 1830 in Vriezenveen; maidservant.

    Open Archives, Collectie Overijssel locatie Zwolle (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Franz August Pepper

    Married in 1826 in Amsterdam; tailor.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 41 records for Pepper in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

New Zealand39 records

39 records of the Pepper name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 32
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 6
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Agnes Pepper

    Died 1909, aged 35; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Claire Pepper

    Died 1986, aged 54; buried at Fairhall Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Raymond Joseph Pepper

    Died 1992; buried at Mercury Bay Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 39 records for Pepper in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Germany36 records

36 records of the Pepper name in Germany
  • Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919 35
  • German emigration and citizenship files 1
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Hermann Pepper

    From Pulsberg, Spremberg. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 18 November 1915 (Guard Grenadier Regiment No. 2).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Johann Friedrich Pepper

    Emigrated to Austria in 1880.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Brandenburgisches Landeshauptarchiv (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Wilhelm Pepper

    From Lindau. Reported taken prisoner in the Prussian casualty list of 2 April 1919 (Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 15).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 36 records for Pepper in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0) · Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0).

France4 records

4 records of the Pepper name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Barrie John Pepper

    Born 1937 in the United Kingdom; died 1993 in Parcey (Jura).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Suzanne Pepper

    Born 1915 in Maisons-Laffitte; died 1999 in Croissy-sur-Seine (Yvelines).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 4 records for Pepper in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Norway1 record

1 record of the Pepper name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Elizabeth Horrnes Pepper

    Census of 1910: Wergelandsveien, Kristiania; "kammerpige", born 1885 in Hertford.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Pepper.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Pepper is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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