Explore the Family Name Kipper

The meaning of Kipper

1. German: variant of Kipp 2 and 3. 2. German: habitational name for someone from a place called Kipper in Westphalia. 3. German: from Middle High German kipper ‘unfair fighter’, hence a nickname for a person of no standing. 4. East German (of Slavic origin): from a Germanized form of the Sorbian adjective kipry ‘weak’, hence a nickname for a frail or weak-willed person. 5. Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Kiper 3. 6. English: nickname from Middle English kipre, kiper ‘salmon, sea trout, or some other fish which has been cured’, probably for someone who sold cured fish. Some characteristic forenames: Jewish Avi, Avram, Berish, Hyman, Meyer.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Kipper has seen a slight decrease in popularity in the United States between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname was ranked 24,680th most popular, with approximately 948 individuals carrying it. However, by 2010 the ranking slipped to 26,910, with 902 individuals bearing the name. This represents a rank change of -9.04% and a count change of -4.85%. Consequently, for every 100,000 people in the U.S., the proportion with this last name decreased from 0.35 individuals in 2000 to 0.31 in 2010, marking an 11.43% drop.

20002010Change
Rank#24,680#26,910-9.04%
Count948902-4.85%
Proportion per 100k0.350.31-11.43%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kipper

The ethnic identity associated with the Kipper surname also saw shifts between 2000 and 2010, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. The majority of individuals with this surname identified as White, although the percentage dropped slightly from 92.09% in 2000 to 90.47% in 2010. The proportion of individuals identifying as Black rose significantly, from 4.01% to 5.54%, marking a 38.15% increase. There was also a small rise in the percentage of those identifying as Hispanic, from 2.00% to 2.11%. Those identifying with two or more races dropped from 1.48% to 1.22%. No individuals holding the Kipper surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native during either census year.

20002010Change
White92.09%90.47%-1.76%
Black4.01%5.54%38.15%
Hispanic2%2.11%5.5%
Two or More Races1.48%1.22%-17.57%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%