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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.

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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 1891 there were 632 Pepper families living in London. This was about 15% of all the recorded Pepper's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Pepper families in 1891.
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.
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What did your Pepper ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Pepper. 6% of Pepper men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Pepper women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Pepper were Colliery Hewer and Domestic Duties. .

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 1939

  • General Labourer
    6%
  • Bricklayer
    5%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%
  • Colliery Hewer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%
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 UK 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 the UK, 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

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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

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