Surname Pape - Meaning and Origin
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Discovering Family History Through iGENEA DNA Analysis: A Deep Dive into the Pape Surname Origins
My journey with iGENEA DNA analysis took me on an enlightening exploration of my family history and surname origin. Through an easy-to-use test kit, detailed genetic markers report, and family reconstruction process, I have been able to trace back my lineage to Northern Europe and understand the historical context of my family name: Pape.
B. Pape
read morePape: What does the surname Pape mean?
Pape is a surname of German origin. It is derived from the Old High German word "papin", meaning "priest" or "papa". It was commonly used to refer to someone who worked for a priest or played the part of a priest in a medieval pageant or play. Also, the surname could have a metonymic occupational origin referring to a servant in a priest's household, or it might have referred to someone who led a sober, priest-like existence. In fact, many surnames were created from occupational titles during the Middle Ages in Europe. The variability in the spelling of this surname—like Pape, Paep, Papes, Papez, Papen, and Paeper—reflects differences in regional dialect and pronunciation. Today, the surname Pape is most commonly found in Germany, followed by the United States and France.
Order DNA origin analysisPape: Where does the name Pape come from?
The last name Pape is most commonly found in the Netherlands today. It is the most popular last name in the country, and approximately 14,000 Dutch people have the name. The name likely originated in the region centuries ago; records of the name are found as far back as the 13th century.
The last name Pape is also found in other European countries, particularly Belgium and Germany. Its prevalence varies in these countries; around 4,600 people share the name in Belgium, and it is present in Germany, France, and other countries as well. Additionally, Pape is a surname found in parts of New Zealand, likely due to European settlers.
In the United States, people with the last name Pape tend to trace their ancestor back to Germany, where the name is still prevalent. There are approximately 3,000 people with this name in the US, though the majority of them live in certain parts of the country--Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Texas, for example.
The surname also appears in other parts of the world, particularly Indonesia, South Africa, and Canada, as a result of migration from countries where the name is more common. In total, around 35,000 people in the world are known to share the name Pape.
Variations of the surname Pape
The surname Pape is often spelled differently depending on its origins and how it has traveled through countries and language barriers.
One of the most common variants of the surname Pape is Papé. This spelling has ancestors stemming from the German-speaking areas of the world, as well as France, specifically its northern regions of Alsace and Flanders. Papé is especially common among French-speaking immigrants and their descendants in the United States, Canada, and Latin America. This spelling of the surname is also popular in the United Kingdom.
Other variants of the surname Pape include Papp, Paup, and Poop. These are mostly found among immigrants from German-speaking countries like Austria and Germany as well as any of its neighboring countries such as the Czech Republic or Switzerland. Papp is especially common in the United States and Canada, and Paup is found in some regions of the Netherlands. Poop is used in some regions of East Asia, particularly in China.
The surname Pape and its variants can also be found in some Jewish communities, though typically as a nickname or alias name. This is because historically such names were used as a way for Jews to conceal their true identity and protect them from persecution. Variants like Pipp, Peppo, and Papo were used, mainly found in families originating in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Lastly, one variant of Pape that is particularly rare is Pappin. This has been found mainly among Irish and British immigrants in Ireland, Australia, and the United States.
In summary, there are a number of variant spellings and surnames for the surname Pape which can be traced to different origin countries. These include Papé, Papp, Paup, Poop, Pipp, Peppo, Papo, and Pappin.
Famous people with the name Pape
- Jay Pape, American actor
- Ryan Pape, American actor
- Brooke Pape, American actress
- Brad Pape, American actor
- Priscilla Pape, American model
- Ruth Pape, American actress
- Garrett Pape, American actor
- Bo Pape, legendary cyclist
- Marco Pape, Italian painter
- Wolfram Pape, German professor
- Petra Pape, German actress
- Maren Pape, German businesswoman
- Emily Pape, French composer
- Brian Pape, Billboard chart-topping American producer
- Ambrosius Pape, German composer
- John Pape Jr., American entrepreneur
- Wout Pape, Dutch volleyball coach
- Jochem Pape, Dutch engineer
- Allard Pape, Dutch football player
- Wim Pape, Belgian racing driver