Surname Rieper - Meaning and Origin
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Rieper: What does the surname Rieper mean?
The last name ‘Rieper’ is of German origin and likely derives from the name ‘Reiffer’. The meaning being ‘Reynard’, a nickname for a fox or someone who was thought to be sly and cunning. The suffix ‘-er’ is a German occupational name for a person with a specific job. The name originally came from one or more of the earliest bearers of the family name who were a reaper, a type of farmer whose job was to harvest grains.
Over the centuries the spelling of the family name has changed many times, usually due to a lack of literacy and depending on dialects. Although the original spelling of Rieper is still used, variants such as Reuver, Reiper, Reeper, Reifer, Riefer, Referer, Reifberger, Reynold, Richard, and Richter have been documented in church records over the years.
Today there are many people with the last name 'Rieper' living all around the world. Notable people with this surname include Julie Rieper, an American alpine skier; August Rieper, a German politician; and Jürgen Rieper, a German motorcycle racer.
In terms of meanings associated with the last name “Rieper”, many believe it still carries the connotation of “fox” or slyness. Whether someone with this last name is sly or not is subjective, however it is undeniable that this is the origin of the name.
Order DNA origin analysisRieper: Where does the name Rieper come from?
The last name Rieper is predominantly found in Germany and other German-speaking countries such as Austria and Switzerland. The name is also found in the United States, Canada, and Australia in relatively small numbers. According to statistics from 2013, Rieper is the commonest surname in the historic German regions of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein.
In Germany, the spelling of the name often varies slightly depending on the region. In the north, the spelling Rieper is common whereas in the south it often appears as Ripper or Rippler.
In the United States, Rieper is a relatively rare surname - according to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were only 118 bearers of the name in the United States in 2010. It is most common in Wisconsin, Illinois, Virginia and Ohio.
In Canada, Rieper is an even rarer name - Statistics Canada records only 16 individuals with the name as of the 2011 census. The largest concentrations of Riepers can be found in the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Overall, the last name Rieper is most common in Germany but is also found in small numbers in other countries, particularly the United States, Canada and Australia.
Variations of the surname Rieper
The surname Rieper is of Germanic origin and is still most common in Germany and Dutch-speaking countries today. It is derived from a person's living near a ripa, a protected riverbank.
Variant spellings of the name Rieper include Riper, Ryper, Rüper, Ripen, and Reeper, while variants of the name outside of Germany include Rypar, Ripar, Rippar, distributed as far as the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Surnames of similar origin and pronunciation include Reep, Reeb, Reibe, Reepen, Reiper, Reippen, Reyper, Rheibe, Riebe, Riebke, Rieb, Rieff, Riefe, Rifen, and Rippen.
The Rieper surname is also linked to multiple variants of the same origin, namely Reappen, Reebin, Reebing, Reeb, Rebbing, Reebling, Reebinck, Reebinc, Reebonck, Reeben, Reebber, Reebingck and Reebus.
Additionally, the surname is linked to variants of the same origin, such as Ripper, Rippen, Rüpper, Rüping, Rüpke, Riep, Riepel, Rüppen, Riepen, Rieping, Riebmacher and Riebmann.
Overall, multiple surnames in different spellings are linked to the same origin, and the variants of the Rieper name are indicative of its Germanic root.
Famous people with the name Rieper
- Klemens Rieper: first President of East Germany from 1949 to 1960.
- Eddie Rieper: former Major League Baseball player.
- Arne Rieper: Danish former soccer player who played for the Danish national team in 1957.
- Walter Rieper: German former swimmer, five-time Olympic medalist and World Record holder.
- Kurt Rieper: German World War II fighter ace who flew the Messerschmitt Bf 109.
- Richard Rieper: British Army officer and writer who wrote the book The War in the West.
- Carl Rieper: German doctor and writer who wrote the book Krankenhaus zur Heilung (Healing Hospital).
- Peter Rieper: German racewalker who won a bronze medal at the 1928 Summer Olympics.
- Julius Rieper: German field hockey player who competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics.
- Anna Rieper: Danish dancer who was a main character in the famous CBBC series Balamory.