Casper
A surname from the given name Caspar, best known as the name of one of the Three Wise Men in Christian tradition.
The #2,905 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 24,998 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Casper is a surname formed from the personal name Caspar (also spelled Kaspar, Jasper, Gaspar). That given name was traditionally associated in Christian legend with one of the Three Magi, and it was widely used across Germanic and neighboring European languages. In surname use, Casper usually means “son or family of Caspar,” rather than coming directly from a common noun.
History
The surname appears in German- and Dutch-speaking areas and also in English-speaking records, with several spelling forms influenced by local pronunciation and spelling habits. Historical sources note variants such as Caspar, Kaspar, Jasper, and the German-looking Caspary. In some cases it may also appear among Jewish families adopting or adapting the same given name-based surname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The given name behind Casper was so well known that it often traveled across languages in many forms, from Kaspar in German to Jasper in English and Gaspar in Romance-language settings.
From the historical record
“nach der Legende einer der h. drei Könige (Kai. 6. Jan.). FN. Kaspar, Caspar; Casper — süd- deutsch Kapper (s. Melchior Meyr, Er- zählungen aus dem Ries). Gen. Caspary (auch jüdisch) — Casper s — Oaspers (Heinsberg).”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen