Pfeffer
A German surname most often referring to pepper or a peppery nickname, and sometimes tied to old food-trade usage.
The #7,554 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 70,169 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Pfeffer is the German word for pepper, ultimately from Latin and Greek words for the spice. As a surname, it most likely began as a nickname for someone associated with pepper, spice, or a sharp temper, or as a name taken from the old food term itself. Some older writers also noted related forms such as Pfeffersack, a satirical nickname for a merchant or wealthy trader.
History
The surname is well attested in German-speaking areas and appears in older surname collections alongside forms like Pfefferle and Pfeffersack. In some contexts, it may also have been reinforced by occupational or trade associations, since pepper was a valuable spice in premodern commerce. The name later spread beyond Germany through migration, and English-language records often simply equate it with Pepper.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older German sources specifically mention Pfeffersack as a well-known joking nickname for merchants.
From the historical record
“PÜanw s. Pfau. Pfeffer IQ. eine Brühe zu Fleischspeisen, wegen der starken Gewürze so genannt (jetzt noch ^Hasenpfeffer"). Pfeffersaek III. der alte Spottname der Kauf- leute. Niclas pfeffersak 1419. (S. auch Goethes Götz, Akt 3, Sz. 1: „Wenn ein”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen