Given name & surname
Pepper
“resembling the pepper plant; flavorful”
Pepper is used as a given name and a surname. One American interpretation is “resembling the pepper plant; flavorful.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One American interpretation is “resembling the pepper plant; flavorful.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is American.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1937. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Pepper through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,551
- 245 boys · 3,306 girls
- Most popular year
- 2021
- 164 babies
- 2025
- 102
- #1,907 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −1%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 102 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,907 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 0.4% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 161 in 2014. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (20). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,818 as a first name in 2020; 10,643 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Pepper’s family of names
Pepper has a related form in Peper. In English usage, Pepper as a surname has a related form in Peper. In Greek usage, Pepper as a surname is a transliteration of Πέππερ.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Pepper
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Pepper, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Forever
“everlasting”
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“born in the month of November”
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October
October is used as a given name and a surname. One American interpretation is “born during autumn; born in the month of October.”
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Wynter
“born during the winter”
2% boys · 98% girls
Ember
“a low-burning fire”
2% boys · 98% girls
Winter
“born during the winter season”
6% boys · 94% girls