Rupiper Origins in Germany

Ruhr Valley Beginnings
The origin of the name Rupiper, often spelled Rupieper in Europe, comes from the Low German “Rohrpieper”. Loosely translated as “reed piper”, this could either be a reference to the nickname for a bird—the marsh pipit—or an occupational name for a musician who plays a reed pipe.

The Rupipers originated in the Recklinghausen district of Germany. Recklinghausen is a city on the west side of Germany, due west of Berlin, near the border with the Netherlands. This region is sometimes referred to as the Ruhr Valley, after the river that runs through it. In the 19th century this district was part of Westfalen (aka Westfalia, Westphalen, etc.). There was a great deal of political upheaval going on in Central Europe in the 1800s, and at times Westfalen was a part of Germany, at times a part of the Prussian Empire, and at times an independent state. When the Rupipers crossed the Atlantic to America, it was a part of Prussia. Today Recklinghausen is located in the German province of Nordrhein-Westfalen. It is known as an industrial center, sort of like the Pittsburgh of Germany. The largest city nearby is Essen.

I have traced the Rupipers back to my great (x 6) grandparents, Johannes Rupiper and Elisabetha Gisen. Johannes was born about 1675 in Suderwich, a town near the city of Recklinghausen. One of his daughter’s birth records lists him as “Johanni Rupiper Junioris,” indicating that his father was also named Johannes Rupiper. His son Johannes Hindricus Rupiper was born in Suderwich 20 Feb 1709, and married Elisabetha Dietermann. They had at least four children, one of whom was Bernardus Rupiper, my great (x 4) grandfather, born in Suderwich about 1759. He married Maria Elisabetha Volmer. They had eleven children, at least two of which emigrated to the United States. One was my great (x 4) uncle Joannes Gregorius Rupiper. The other, the youngest of the eleven children, was my great-great-great-grandfather Johann Henrich Wenceslaus Rupiper.

United States of Rupiper
Over the course of several years researching this family, I have pieced together the various branches of the family that exist around the country (see chart below), and constructed what I think is the largest Rupiper family tree anywhere on the internet. I can say with confidence that all of the Rupipers in America are related to each other through the sons of Bernardus Rupiper. The chart below is an overview of the different branches of the Rupiper families in America, and how they are connected to one another. You can get a more detailed look by browsing through the database portion of my site. Of course, we also have many Rupiper cousins still in Germany, many of whom use the Rupieper spelling. I would go so far as to say all the Rupipers in the world are related, though of course I could never prove it without seeing all their birth certificates, but the evidence I’ve gathered so far leads to that conclusion. It’s just not that common of a name, and all trails lead back to Recklinghausen.

The Rupipers in America tend to be concentrated in three distinct locations: Northeastern Wisconsin; Carroll County, IA; and the border between Northeastern Nebraska and Southeastern South Dakota. See the other pages at this site for more information.

Rupiepers in Germany
There is a sizable branch of Rupiepers that never left Germany. Many are descended from Bernard Rupieper, born about 1876, or Henrich Joseph Rupiper, born in the early 19th century. I suspect we are all related, but I have not been able to make a concrete connection to the descendants of Johannes Rupiper (1630).

If Google is any indication, the most famous Rupieper is Hermann-Josef Rupieper (1942-2004). He was a historian, professor and author specializing in German history and international relations. He was also founding director of the German Historical Institute in Washington, DC.   

I have not included any footnotes within these historical essays. For information on my sources look up the names of individuals in my genealogical database. All source information is listed there.