Explore the Family Name Draper

The meaning of Draper

English: occupational name for a maker and seller of woolen cloth, from Anglo-Norman draper (Old French drapier, an agent derivative of drap ‘cloth’). The surname was introduced to Ulster in the 17th century. Draperstown in County Londonderry was named for the London Company of Drapers, which was allocated the land in the early 17th century.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Draper has slightly decreased from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, the name was ranked 1397 in popularity with a count of 23,242. By 2010, it had dropped to rank 1467, even though the count increased by 4.71% to 24,337. This shows that while more people bear the Draper surname, its overall popularity ranking among all surnames declined.

20002010Change
Rank#1,397#1,467-5.01%
Count23,24224,3374.71%
Proportion per 100k8.628.25-4.29%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Draper

The ethnicity associated with the Draper surname shows significant changes between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census. The percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or More Races, and Hispanic with this surname increased in this time frame, with the Hispanic community seeing the most considerable increase at 50%. On the other hand, there was a slight decrease in the percentage of White and American Indian and Alaskan Native individuals with the Draper surname. The representation of Black individuals in the Draper surname population saw a marginal increase of 1.39%.

20002010Change
White81.06%79.42%-2.02%
Black13.67%13.86%1.39%
Hispanic1.62%2.43%50%
Two or More Races1.34%1.89%41.04%
American Indian and Alaskan Native1.87%1.82%-2.67%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.45%0.57%26.67%

Draper ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Draper is British & Irish, which comprises 53.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.8%) and Scandinavian (4.8%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Nigerian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ashkenazi Jewish.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish53.0%
French & German23.8%
Scandinavian4.8%
Other18.4%
Draper

Possible origins of the surname Draper

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Draper have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom88.90%
Merseyside, United Kingdom88.50%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom88.40%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom88.40%
West Yorkshire, United Kingdom88.20%

What Draper haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Draper is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-Y7273 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: West, Hewitt, Andrews, Harrison, Powell, Wade, Howell, Davis, Wilkins, Crosby.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Draper surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

draperPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Draper have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Draper

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Draper" Surname 40.0%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Draper

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Draper" Surname 31.2%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Draper

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Draper" Surname 23.2%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Draper

Cat Allergy

An allergic reaction to cats, characterized by symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and difficulty breathing.

"Draper" Surname 42.4%

23andMe Users 36.7%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Draper?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Draper are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%