Explore the Family Name Asper

The meaning of Asper

1. Swiss German, German, and Norwegian: topographic name for someone living by aspen trees, from Middle High German aspe, or a habitational name for someone from a place called with this word (compare Asp). This surname is rare in Germany and virtually non-existing in Switzerland. 2. Americanized form of Arabic Esber 1 or Esper 4. History: Many of the American Aspers are descendants of Johannes Georg Asper and his family, who in the middle of the 18th century came from the Palatinate, Germany, and settled in York County, PA. Johannes Georg’s father was from Switzerland.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Asper in the United States?

According to the Decennial U.S. Census data on surname popularity, the name 'Asper' decreased in rank from 24,432 in the year 2000 to 25,226 in 2010, a change of -3.25%. Despite this drop in ranking, the count for the surname slightly increased from 960 to 982 during the same period, recording a 2.29% growth. The proportion per 100k also saw a decrease of -8.33%, moving from 0.36 in 2000 to 0.33 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#24,432#25,226-3.25%
Count9609822.29%
Proportion per 100k0.360.33-8.33%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Asper

The Decennial U.S. Census data reveals interesting shifts in the ethnic identity distribution among individuals with the surname 'Asper'. The percentage of Asians/Pacific Islanders grew significantly by 160.80%, from 1.25% in 2000 to 3.26% in 2010. In contrast, the number of people identifying as two or more races dropped to zero in 2010 from 0.94% in 2000. The portion of white individuals fell from 93.54% in 2000 to 90.02% in 2010, marking a 3.76% decrease. Hispanic representation experienced a growth of 30.40%, rising from 2.50% in 2000 to 3.26% in 2010, while the percentage of Black individuals slightly declined by 2.26%. No individuals identified as American Indian and Alaskan Native in either census year.

20002010Change
White93.54%90.02%-3.76%
Asian/Pacific Islander1.25%3.26%160.8%
Hispanic2.5%3.26%30.4%
Black1.77%1.73%-2.26%
Two or More Races0.94%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%