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

Pepper Family History

Pepper Name Meaning

English and North German: from Middle English peper piper Middle Low German peper ‘pepper’ hence a metonymic occupational name for a spicer; alternatively it may be a nickname for a small man (as if the size of a peppercorn) or one with a fiery temper or for a dark-haired man (from the color of a peppercorn) or anecdotal for someone who paid a peppercorn rent. Irish: variant of Peppard . Americanized form of Jewish Pfeffer Feffer or Fefer all meaning ‘pepper’.

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


Similar surnames: Lepper, Peeper, Peper, Tepper, Popper, Nepper, Klepper, Hepper

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 Pepper family from?

You can see how Pepper families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Pepper family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Pepper families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 264 Pepper families living in Ontario. This was about 70% of all the recorded Pepper's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Pepper families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Pepper surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Pepper ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Pepper. 41% of Pepper men worked as a Farmer and 23% of Pepper women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Pepper were Laborer and Income. .

View Census Data for Pepper | 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
    41%
  • Labourer
    8%
  • Machinist
    6%
  • Laborer
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    23%
  • Stenographer
    17%
  • Teacher
    17%
  • Income
    12%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Pepper family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 148,000 census records available for the last name Pepper. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Pepper census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Pepper

Passenger Lists

There are 13,000 immigration records available for the last name Pepper. 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 Pepper immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 17,000 military records available for the last name Pepper. For the veterans among your Pepper ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Pepper military records

You've only scratched the surface of Pepper family history

Discover More

What is the average Pepper lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Pepper life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Pepper in 1945 was 69, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Pepper

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Pepper family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Pepper last name

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