History of your Surname
Get access to Draper family records.Start a free trial

Draper Family History

Draper Name Meaning

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.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Drape, Drapeau, Graper, Roper, Drayer, Brayer, Grapes, Rayer, Driver

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Draper family from?

You can see how Draper families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Draper family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Draper families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 414 Draper families living in Ontario. This was about 62% of all the recorded Draper's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Draper families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Draper surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Draper ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Domestic were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Draper. 39% of Draper men worked as a Farmer and 14% of Draper women worked as a Domestic. Some less common occupations for Americans named Draper were Carpenter and Income. .

View Census Data for Draper | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    39%
  • Labourer
    9%
  • Laborer
    9%
  • Carpenter
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Domestic
    14%
  • Teacher
    11%
  • Housewife
    11%
  • Income
    9%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Draper family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 261,000 census records available for the last name Draper. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Draper census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Draper

Passenger Lists

There are 31,000 immigration records available for the last name Draper. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Draper immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 30,000 military records available for the last name Draper. For the veterans among your Draper ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Draper military records

You've only scratched the surface of Draper family history

Discover More

What is the average Draper lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Draper life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Draper in 1944 was 47, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Draper

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Draper family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Draper last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial