Casper

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Casper

Gender: Masculine
Language: English, Dutch
Etymology:
Casper is a Dutch and German form of the name Gaspar. The name has a possible Persian origin, probably meaning “Treasure.”

History:
Casper is the Dutch form of Gaspar, or Jasper. In Christian legend, it belonged to one of the three wise men (the other two were Balthasar and Melchior) who brought gifts to the newborn Jesus in Bethlehem.

In the 12th century the supposed “relics” of the three wise men were brought to Cologne, Germany. Casper have been used in Germany and its surrounding lands since the 1400s.

Casper, or Capsar, was introduced to the United States by Dutch immigrants to New Netherlands (New York) in the 17th century and later reinforced by German and Swiss Immigrants of the mid-19th century. It lasted among their descendants until the early 20th century.

Please see Jasper for more information.

Pronunciation: cass-par.

Alternates: Caspar.

Famous Bearers:
Artists and Authors:
Daniel Caspar von Lohenstein (1635-1683)
German writer.
Caspar Netscher (1639-1684)
Dutch painter.
Caspar Moosbruger (1656-1723)
Austrian architect.
Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840)
German painter.
(Rudolf) Caspar Neher (1897-1962)
German stage designer.

Educators, Scholars, and Social Workers:
Kaspar Schwenkfeld von Ossig (1490-1561)
Silesian spiritualist.
Johann Caspar Zeuss (1806-1856)
German philologist.
George Caspar Homans (1910-)
American sociologist.

Fictional Characters:
Casper Hawkins (1918-1958)
A put-upon husband in “Toots and Casper,” a popular, domestic comic strip about a married couple.
Caspar the Friendly Ghost (1945-)
Innocuous cartoon.

Miscellaneous:
Caspar Wistar (1696-1752)
American glass maker.

Political Figures:
Caspar Willard Weinberger (1917-)
American politician.

Religious Figures:
Caspar Olevianus (1536-1587)
German clergyman.

Scientists and Inventors:
Caspar Bauhin (Gaspard Bauhin) (1560-1624)
Swiss botanist.
Caspar Friedrich Wolff (1733-1794)
German biologist.
Caspar Wistar (1761-1818)
American physician.

Singers and Entertainers:
Casper van Dien (1968-)
American actor.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
less than 0.004 % named Caspar, Casper

Popularity of Casper:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1850: 205th most popular.
1875: 406th most popular.
1880: 465th most popular.
1881: 442nd most popular.
1882: 355th most popular.
1883: 448th most popular.
1884: 504th most popular.
1885: 380th most popular.
1886: 369th most popular.
1887: 544th most popular.
1888: 369th most popular.
1889: 332nd most popular.
1890: 511th most popular.
1891: 386th most popular.
1892: 422nd most popular.
1893: 459th most popular.
1894: 419th most popular.
1895: 556th most popular.
1896: 408th most popular.
1897: 474th most popular.
1898: 452nd most popular.
1899: 482nd most popular.
1900: 649th most popular.
1901: 637th most popular.
1902: 536th most popular.
1903: 911th most popular.
1904: 611th most popular.
1905: 592nd most popular.
1906: 710th most popular.
1907: 512th most popular.
1908: 682nd most popular.
1909: 635th most popular.
1910: 860th most popular.
1911: 623rd most popular.
1912: 537th most popular.
1913: 586th most popular.
1914: 586th most popular.
1915: 535th most popular.
1916: 663rd most popular.
1917: 570th most popular.
1918: 668th most popular.
1919: 563rd most popular.
1920: 701st most popular.
1921: 732nd most popular.
1922: 702nd most popular.
1923: 664th most popular.
1924: 696th most popular.
1925: 723rd most popular.
1926: 916th most popular.
1927: 739th most popular.
1928: 15th most popular.
1929: 797th most popular.
1930: 865th most popular.
1931: 922nd most popular.
1932: 899th most popular.
1933: 976th most popular.
1934-2004: N/A

Selected Sources:
The Penguin Dictionary of First Names, Pickering, 1999
A Dictionary of First Names by Hanks and Hodges, 1990
The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, Withycombe, 3rd ed., 1977
The Academy of St. Gabriel (www.s-gabriel.org) - For information on medieval names.

The Social Security Administration Actuarial Note 139 - For popularity stats 1880-Present
The 1880 U.S. Census- For popularity stats 1850-1880