The Raper surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,825 people carried this name — #6,952 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 61,000 people counted. That is down 1% from 4,895 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Raper surname

As an English and Welsh surname

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

An early record he cites: Willelmus Raper, 1379 — Poll Tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 636 · public domain.

In print

Raper in American newspapers,
1906–1922.

Newspaper page from The Hummer carrying the name Raper
The Hummer 1916-01-28
Newspaper page from The Pensacola Journal carrying the name Raper
The Pensacola Journal 1922-04-22
Newspaper page from East Oregonian : E.o carrying the name Raper
East Oregonian : E.o 1906-11-12

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 370,707 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Raper in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

8,512 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Raper. The most, 1,118, date from the 1920s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 4,504
Queensland 2,037
Victoria 1,214
Western Australia 419
South Australia 206
Tasmania 97
ACT (Canberra) 23
Northern Territory 6

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

Who carried it

People named Raper,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Maurie Raper d. 2026 · rugby league player
  • Charles Fraser Raper d. 1965
  • Meta Janette Steel Grant d. 1953
  • Matthew Raper 1705–1778 · astronomer
  • John Raper 1708–1783
  • Matthew Raper 1742–1826

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

In the public record

People named Raper,
in the records of 8 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 States358 records

358 records of the Raper name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 220
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 60
  • Other U.S. records 78
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Carlton A. Raper

    Born 1916 in North Carolina. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Bragg; chemical plant worker. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2001, buried at Sandy Ridge United Meth Ch Cemetery, North Carolina.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Alvin Louis Raper

    Born 1942; from Sierra Vista, Arizona. U.S. Navy, hospital corpsman; killed in action 1968 in Thua Thien, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Josephine Raper

    Arrived at New York in 1873 aboard the Adriatic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 59; servant. From Germany.

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

Showing 3 of 358 records for Raper in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia150 records

150 records of the Raper name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 75
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 41
  • Other Australian records 34
  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 Samuel Raper

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Hooghley, arriving 1834; certificate of freedom 1841.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record William Raper

    Arrived in Victoria in 1856 aboard the Royal Charter, aged 39; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Edward G. Raper

    Storeman of Windsor, Victoria; died 1929.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 150 records for Raper in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (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); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

United Kingdom20 records

20 records of the Raper name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 10
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 10
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Frances Raper

    Buried in 1824 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 58.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. Raper

    Corporal, Machine Gun Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Frances Raper

    Buried in 1822 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 34.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 20 records for Raper 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. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Canada9 records

9 records of the Raper name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 3
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 3
  • Other Canadian records 3
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Harold Raper

    Killed in 1958 at the Springhill No. 2 mine, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Thos Raper

    Came to Ontario in 1878 aboard the Missippi, landing at Quebec, bound for Brampton, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Ethel Raper

    Buried in 1995 at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

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

Showing 3 of 9 records for Raper in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); 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).

Netherlands4 records

4 records of the Raper name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 2
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Hendrik Raper

    Died 1957 in Schagen, aged 84.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Perla Isaac Raper

    In the population register of Amsterdam; born 1808 in Amsterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Amsterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Maria Raper

    In the population register of Grave; born 1860.

    Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Raper 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); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Raper name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ada Marie Jane Raper

    Died 1898, aged 61; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City 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).

France1 record

1 record of the Raper 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 Andre Georges Raper

    Born 1909 in Paris; died 1987 in Paris.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

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).

Germany1 record

1 record of the Raper name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Karl Räper

    From Grünenplan, Holzminden. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 15 May 1916.

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

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

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Raper.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Raper 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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