NameCensus.

UK surname

Pepper

An occupational surname referring to a seller or grower of peppers, or a variation of the name Piper.

In the 1881 census there were 4,207 people recorded with the Pepper surname, ranking it #1,067 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,666, ranked #1,183, down from #1,067 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Wolstanton and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Allerdale, Bristol and Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pepper is 6,028 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.7%.

1881 census count

4,207

Ranked #1,067

Modern count

5,666

2016, ranked #1,183

Peak year

1999

6,028 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pepper had 4,207 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,067 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,666 in 2016, ranked #1,183.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,984 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pepper surname distribution map

The map shows where the Pepper surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Pepper surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pepper over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 2,466 #1,207
1861 historical 2,340 #1,257
1881 historical 4,207 #1,067
1891 historical 4,396 #1,075
1901 historical 5,354 #1,053
1911 historical 5,984 #866
1997 modern 5,540 #1,179
1998 modern 6,013 #1,129
1999 modern 6,028 #1,133
2000 modern 6,004 #1,131
2001 modern 5,873 #1,132
2002 modern 5,944 #1,144
2003 modern 5,853 #1,133
2004 modern 5,854 #1,134
2005 modern 5,761 #1,131
2006 modern 5,703 #1,141
2007 modern 5,716 #1,147
2008 modern 5,676 #1,155
2009 modern 5,747 #1,167
2010 modern 5,904 #1,164
2011 modern 5,823 #1,166
2012 modern 5,679 #1,171
2013 modern 5,761 #1,172
2014 modern 5,788 #1,174
2015 modern 5,724 #1,177
2016 modern 5,666 #1,183

Geography

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Where Peppers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Wolstanton, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Allerdale, Bristol, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Middlesbrough. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 Wolstanton Staffordshire
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Allerdale 012 Allerdale
2 Bristol 003 Bristol, City of
3 Newcastle-under-Lyme 005 Newcastle-under-Lyme
4 Middlesbrough 002 Middlesbrough
5 Newcastle-under-Lyme 014 Newcastle-under-Lyme

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pepper

These lists show first names that appear often with the Pepper surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pepper

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Pepper, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Pepper surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Pepper household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Pepper is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pepper is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pepper falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pepper is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Pepper, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Pepper

The surname Pepper is of English origin and is derived from the Old English word "pipor", which means pepper. It first emerged as an occupational name for someone who grew or traded pepper, a highly prized and expensive spice during medieval times.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the late 12th century, with one of the first bearers being William Piper, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195. This early spelling variation highlights the connection to the spice trade.

By the 13th century, the name had evolved to its modern spelling of Pepper, as evidenced by references to individuals such as Richard Pepper in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1278 and John Pepper in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296.

The Pepper surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Pepper Hill in Oxfordshire and Pepper Street in Chester, suggesting that some bearers of the name may have derived it from these locations.

One notable early bearer of the Pepper name was Sir Robert Pepper (c. 1460-1530), a wealthy merchant and alderman of London who served as Lord Mayor in 1522. He was involved in the spice trade and owned extensive properties in the city.

Another prominent figure was Roger Pepper (1561-1639), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Richmond during the reign of King Charles I. He played a significant role in the English Civil War and was a staunch Royalist.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Pepper family established themselves as landowners and gentry in various counties across England, including Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire.

In the literary world, Samuel Pepys (1633-1703), the famous diarist and Member of Parliament, is perhaps the most well-known bearer of the Pepper name, despite the slight variation in spelling.

Another notable individual was Robert Pepper (1713-1787), an English architect and surveyor who designed several churches and buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

Throughout history, the Pepper surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, politicians, architects, and writers, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those bearing this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pepper families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pepper surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 435 Peppers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.06x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 435 1.06x
Yorkshire 425 1.04x
Kent 338 2.41x
Staffordshire 326 2.35x
Nottinghamshire 314 5.67x
Lincolnshire 304 4.63x
Leicestershire 256 5.62x
Lancashire 222 0.46x
Essex 218 2.69x
Surrey 210 1.05x
Suffolk 145 2.90x
Warwickshire 139 1.34x
Cambridgeshire 117 4.50x
Bedfordshire 110 5.17x
Derbyshire 83 1.29x
Sussex 73 1.05x
Northamptonshire 55 1.42x
Hertfordshire 53 1.87x
Norfolk 51 0.81x
Durham 50 0.41x
Hampshire 50 0.59x
Cheshire 40 0.44x
Rutland 24 7.96x
Huntingdonshire 23 2.82x
Buckinghamshire 20 0.81x
Lanarkshire 20 0.15x
Cumberland 15 0.42x
Westmorland 14 1.55x
Pembrokeshire 11 0.84x
Wiltshire 8 0.22x
Worcestershire 8 0.15x
Berkshire 7 0.23x
Angus 6 0.16x
Gloucestershire 6 0.07x
Royal Navy 5 1.02x
Devon 4 0.05x
Shropshire 4 0.11x
Stirlingshire 4 0.26x
Buteshire 3 1.21x
Glamorgan 3 0.04x
Ayrshire 2 0.07x
Northumberland 2 0.03x
Oxfordshire 2 0.08x
Somerset 2 0.03x
Cornwall 1 0.02x
Denbighshire 1 0.06x
Dorset 1 0.04x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Newcastle Under Lyme in Staffordshire leads with 91 Peppers recorded in 1881 and an index of 37.09x.

Place Total Index
Newcastle Under Lyme 91 37.09x
Stoke Upon Trent 82 5.58x
Aston 60 2.10x
Lambeth 58 1.62x
Leicester St Margaret 48 4.32x
St Pancras London 46 1.39x
Islington London 45 1.13x
Wolstanton Knutton 38 44.89x
Hammersmith London 37 3.66x
Pinxton 37 113.18x
Poplar London 36 4.64x
Nottingham St Mary 35 2.44x
Bethnal Green London 33 1.85x
Crowland 33 80.10x
Loughborough 31 15.00x
Faversham 30 22.45x
Coventry Holy Trinity 29 9.38x
Throwley 29 331.43x
Charlton 27 29.00x
Melton Mowbray 25 30.53x
Radford 24 8.53x
Kegworth 23 75.98x
Meldreth 23 227.72x
Upwell 23 78.23x
Wigan 23 3.38x
Deptford St Paul 22 2.04x
Hackney London 22 0.96x
Biggleswade 21 30.15x
Birmingham 21 0.61x
Liverpool 21 0.71x
Burslem 20 5.04x
Gotham 20 138.60x
Barton Upon Irwell 19 5.18x
Hoyland Nether 19 19.03x
Bassingbourn 18 47.08x
Peasenhall 18 148.03x
Toxteth Park 18 1.09x
West Ham 18 1.01x
Barrow Upon Soar 17 45.20x
Basford 17 6.66x
Ecclesall Bierlow 17 2.05x
Ipswich St Margaret 17 10.01x
Ipswich St Mathew 17 12.12x
Luton 17 4.62x
Battle 16 34.23x
Brampton Bierlow 16 30.70x
Everton 16 1.03x
Kensington London 16 0.70x
Newark Upon Trent 16 8.04x
Peterborough 16 5.72x
Sheffield 16 1.23x
South Normanton 16 35.41x
Borrowdale 15 237.72x
Fulham London 15 2.52x
Shoreditch London 15 0.84x
Spalding 15 11.51x
St Andrewthe Less 15 5.05x
St Marylebone London 15 0.68x
Aveley 14 102.41x
Coventry St Michael 14 4.21x
Deeping St Nicholas 14 72.77x
Great Staughton 14 88.50x
Lidlington 14 150.86x
St Peters 14 21.59x
Stamford Baron St Martin 14 67.63x
Steeple Morden 14 101.08x
Stockbury 14 160.37x
Sutton Bonnington 14 98.94x
Bermondsey 13 1.06x
Brightside Bierlow 13 1.63x
Burton Lazars 13 379.01x
Eversholt 13 120.37x
Normanton 13 10.63x
Prittlewell 13 11.57x
Putney 13 6.94x
Sculcoates 13 2.01x
Southwark St Saviour 13 6.16x
Sutton In Ashfield 13 10.82x
Grantham 12 14.02x
Wrentham 12 86.46x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Pepper surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 292
Elizabeth 158
Sarah 146
Eliza 85
Ann 81
Emma 71
Jane 60
Alice 54
Emily 52
Annie 50
Ellen 49
Hannah 43
Fanny 33
Louisa 33
Charlotte 32
Ada 31
Caroline 28
Florence 28
Susan 28
Edith 26
Kate 26
Maria 25
Martha 25
Harriet 24
Margaret 21
Clara 19
Agnes 18
Harriett 18
Anne 16
Rebecca 16
Rose 16
Frances 15
Lucy 15
Matilda 14
Amy 12
Catherine 12
Minnie 12
Eleanor 11
Lydia 11
Bertha 10
Esther 10
Ethel 9
Isabella 9
Ruth 9
Susannah 9
Amelia 8
Julia 8
Maud 8
Phoebe 8
Gertrude 7

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Pepper surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 242
John 239
George 155
Thomas 126
James 110
Henry 88
Charles 75
Joseph 67
Edward 64
Arthur 57
Frederick 47
Walter 46
Alfred 43
Samuel 43
Ernest 32
Robert 32
Richard 31
Albert 26
Frank 25
Harry 23
Herbert 21
Edwin 18
Francis 13
Fred 12
Matthew 12
Tom 11
David 10
Fredk. 9
Isaac 9
Stephen 9
Fredrick 8
Horace 7
Wm. 7
Elijah 6
Philip 6
Andrew 5
Benjamin 5
Geo. 5
Phillip 5
Abraham 4
Christopher 4
Dennis 4
Edmund 4
Freeman 4
Leonard 4
Peter 4
Rowland 4
Sidney 4
Thos. 4
Willm. 4

FAQ

Pepper surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pepper surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,207 people were recorded with the Pepper surname. That placed it at #1,067 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pepper surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,666 in 2016. That gives Pepper a modern rank of #1,183.

What does the Pepper surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a seller or grower of peppers, or a variation of the name Piper.

What does the Pepper map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Pepper bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.