Culpepper
An English surname originally built from the words for a cool or spicy herb seller, later fixed in a few spellings including Culpepper and Colepepper.
The #3,521 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 30,463 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is generally understood as an occupational name from Middle English elements meaning 'cool' or 'cull' plus 'pepper,' though the second element is sometimes taken more broadly as a spice or pepper seller. The older spellings vary, including Colepepper and Cullepeper, which suggests the name was formed in medieval English and later stabilized in different local spellings. In sense, it points to someone connected with selling or handling pepper or other spices, rather than to the modern word 'pepper' alone.
History
The name is well attested in medieval and later English records, and it appears in several spellings over time. It is also associated with the prominent Culpeper/Culpepper family in English history, which helped keep the surname visible in historical writing. The spelling Culpepper is common in America as well as Britain, though Colepepper and Culpeper are also found.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A famous English herbalist and physician, Nicholas Culpeper, made the surname especially well known.
From the historical record
“Crane. Culpepper. Damson. Dew.”
— Ludus Patronymicus; or, the etymology of curious surnames