Explore the Family Name Paper
The meaning of Paper
1. English: probably a variant of Pepper. Paper is a variant of Middle English peper ‘pepper’, which is probably also a shortened form of Pepperer ‘seller of pepper’. 2. Swiss German: variant of Papper, probably from baby talk. Compare Paben.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Paper in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname 'Paper' has seen a decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 60,083 and dropped to a rank of 67,126 in 2010, marking an 11.72% decline. The count similarly decreased from 314 individuals bearing the name in 2000, down to 294 in 2010, which denotes a 6.37% decline. The proportion per 100k people also experienced a decrease from 0.12 in 2000 to 0.1 in 2010, a change of 16.67%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #60,083 | #67,126 | -11.72% |
| Count | 314 | 294 | -6.37% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.12 | 0.1 | -16.67% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Paper
The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insights into the ethnicity of those with the surname 'Paper'. In 2000, approximately 93.63% of individuals with this surname identified as White, a figure that slightly increased to 94.22% by 2010. There was no change over this decade in the percentage identifying as Black or Two or more races, both remaining at 0%. Interestingly, there was a small emergence of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic from 0% in 2000 to 2.04% each in 2010. Conversely, the percentage of American Indian and Alaskan Native declined from 2.23% in 2000 to 0% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.63% | 94.22% | 0.63% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 2.04% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 2.04% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 2.23% | 0% | 0% |