NameCensus.

UK surname

Repper

From German occupational name for a rope maker or seller.

In the 1881 census there were 45 people recorded with the Repper surname, ranking it #27,314 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 99, ranked #31,358, down from #27,314 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stithians, St Agnes and Wendron. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rushcliffe, Leeds and Midstocket.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Repper is 120 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 120.0%.

1881 census count

45

Ranked #27,314

Modern count

99

2016, ranked #31,358

Peak year

2000

120 bearers

Map years

2

1891 to 1998

Key insights

  • Repper had 45 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,314 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 99 in 2016, ranked #31,358.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 112 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Repper surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Repper surname density by area, 1998 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Repper 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 90 #18,317
1861 historical 73 #24,492
1881 historical 45 #27,314
1891 historical 112 #22,291
1901 historical 91 #23,921
1911 historical 87 #24,147
1997 modern 98 #27,179
1998 modern 106 #26,689
1999 modern 118 #25,227
2000 modern 120 #24,950
2001 modern 108 #26,184
2002 modern 104 #27,303
2003 modern 101 #27,561
2004 modern 102 #27,637
2005 modern 100 #28,025
2006 modern 99 #28,453
2007 modern 94 #29,650
2008 modern 96 #29,654
2009 modern 97 #30,076
2010 modern 94 #31,111
2011 modern 89 #31,659
2012 modern 87 #32,180
2013 modern 92 #31,909
2014 modern 97 #31,518
2015 modern 97 #31,499
2016 modern 99 #31,358

Geography

Back to top

Where Reppers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stithians, St Agnes, Wendron, Cardiff St John and St Mary and Belhelvie. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rushcliffe, Leeds, Midstocket, Cornwall and West Devon. 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 Stithians Cornwall
2 St Agnes Cornwall
3 Wendron Cornwall
4 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire
5 Belhelvie Aberdeen

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rushcliffe 001 Rushcliffe
2 Leeds 109 Leeds
3 Midstocket Aberdeen City
4 Cornwall 046 Cornwall
5 West Devon 006 West Devon

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Repper

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Repper

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Repper, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Repper surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Repper household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Repper is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Repper is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Repper falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Repper is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 20-25 mbit/s.

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

4
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Repper

The surname REPPER has its origins in Germany, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "repper," which referred to a rope maker or someone who worked with ropes. The name was initially concentrated in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in the states of Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name REPPER can be found in the town records of Lübeck, a city in northern Germany, where a certain Hans REPPER was listed as a rope maker in 1537. Another early mention of the name appears in the parish records of Emden, located in East Frisia, where a family by the name of REPPER is documented in the late 16th century.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name REPPER began to spread throughout Germany and neighboring regions. In 1692, a Johann REPPER was born in Lübeck, and he later became a prominent merchant and trader in the city. Another notable figure was Friedrich REPPER, a scholar and theologian who lived from 1738 to 1811 and served as a professor at the University of Göttingen.

In the 19th century, the name REPPER started to appear in other parts of Europe as families migrated and settled in new areas. One such example is Karl REPPER, a German-born artist who lived from 1825 to 1892 and spent a significant part of his career in Italy, where he painted landscapes and scenes from daily life.

As the Industrial Revolution gained momentum, the name REPPER became associated with various industries, including textiles and manufacturing. In 1856, a textile company called REPPER & Sons was established in Krefeld, a city in the Rhine-Ruhr region of Germany. The company became renowned for its high-quality fabrics and employed several generations of the REPPER family.

Another notable individual with the surname REPPER was Johann Georg REPPER, a German-American inventor and engineer who lived from 1857 to 1929. He is credited with developing several groundbreaking technologies related to the production of steel and is considered a pioneer in the field of metallurgy.

While the surname REPPER is still prevalent in Germany and other parts of Europe, it has also been carried to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its roots can be traced back to the rope makers and tradespeople of northern Germany in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Repper families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Repper 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. Cornwall leads with 24 Reppers recorded in 1881 and an index of 36.84x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 24 36.84x
Channel Islands 14 82.11x
Banffshire 11 92.13x
Aberdeenshire 6 11.26x
Kent 4 2.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Helier in Channel Islands leads with 13 Reppers recorded in 1881 and an index of 234.23x.

Place Total Index
St Helier 13 234.23x
Gamrie 10 751.88x
Liskeard 9 825.69x
Perranzabuloe 8 1428.57x
Belhelvie 6 1666.67x
Oare 4 4000.00x
St Agnes 4 439.56x
Alvah 1 370.37x
Helston 1 147.06x
St Saviour 1 106.38x
Tywardreath 1 238.10x
Wendron 1 111.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Carrie 1
Catherine 1
Edith 1
Elfreda 1
Esther 1
Ethelenda 1
Grace 1
Jane 1
Lavinia 1
Lenora 1
Lilian 1
Lydia 1
Margaret 1
Rachel 1
Rose 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Repper households.

FAQ

Repper surname: questions and answers

How common was the Repper surname in 1881?

In 1881, 45 people were recorded with the Repper surname. That placed it at #27,314 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Repper surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 99 in 2016. That gives Repper a modern rank of #31,358.

What does the Repper surname mean?

From German occupational name for a rope maker or seller.

What does the Repper map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Repper 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.