# Piper (surname)

Piper is a surname of German, English and Scandinavian origin, derived from the Old English "pipere" and the Old Norse "pipari", meaning "flute" or "fluteplayer", originating from long pepper in Indo-Aryan languages.
People with the surname include:

## Academia

* Charles Piper (1867–1926), American botanist and agriculturalist
* Franciszek Piper (born 1941), Polish historian
* James A. Piper (1947–2023), New Zealand/Australian physicist
* Martha Piper, President of the University of British Columbia
* Otto Piper (1841–1921), German architectural historian
* Ross Piper (fl. 1998–present) British zoologist

## Art and design

* Adrian Piper (born 1948), American conceptual artist and philosopher
* Christian Piper (1941–2019), German artist
* Edward Piper (1938–1990), English painter
* John Piper (artist) (1903–1992), English artist
* Keith Piper (artist) (born 1960), British artist
* Lloyd Piper (1923–1983), Australian cartoonist
* Luke Piper (born 1966), English painter, son of Edward Piper
* Rose Piper (1917–2005), American artist
* Tom Piper (born 1964), British theatre designer

## Business

* Christina Piper (1673–1752), Swedish countess, landowner and entrepreneur, wife of the politician Carl Piper (see below)
* Odessa Piper (born 1953), American restaurateur
* William T. Piper (1881–1970), American airplane manufacturer, founder of Piper Aircraft

## Music

* Billie Piper (born 1982), English singer, dancer and actress
* Myfanwy Piper (1911–1997), English art critic and librettist
* Randy Piper (born 1953), American rock guitarist and songwriter

## Performing arts

* Ailsa Piper (born 1959), Australian actress, playwright, and director
* Aron Piper (born 1997), Spanish-German actor
* Billie Piper (born 1982), English singer, dancer, and actress
* Frederick Piper (1902–1979), English actor
* Gordon Piper (1932–2004), Australian actor, theatre director, and scriptwriter
* Jacki Piper (born 1946), British actor
* Jason Piper, English voice actor and ballet dancer
* "Rowdy" Roddy Piper (1954–2015), Canadian professional wrestler and actor
* Sally Gifford Piper, Canadian actress, usually credited as Sally Gifford
* Tim Piper, Australian filmmaker

## Politics

* August J. Piper (1864–1945), American politician
* Carl Piper (1657-1716), Swedish politician
* Greg Piper (born 1957), Australian politician
* Pat Piper (politician) (1934–2016), American politician
* Sue Piper (born 1951), retired New Zealand unionist and local politician
* William Piper (1774–1852) American politician
* William Adam Piper (1826-1899), American politician
* William G. Piper (1906–1976), American politician

## Sport

* Carly Piper (born 1983), American former swimmer
* Cherie Piper (born 1981), Canadian retired ice hockey player
* David Piper (racing driver) (born 1930), British former racing driver
* Donald Piper (basketball) (1911–1963) American basketball player
* Jim Piper (born 1981), Australian swimmer
* Jim Piper (footballer) (1884–1949), Australian rules footballer
* Keith Piper (cricketer) (born 1969), former Warwickshire wicketkeeper
* Keith W. Piper (1921–1997), American football coach
* Matt Piper (born 1981), English footballer
* Nesta Piper (born 1982), Montserratian cricketer
* Nicky Piper (born 1966), Welsh retired boxer
* Norman Piper (born 1948), English former footballer
* Oliver Piper (1884–1933), Welsh-born Irish rugby union player
* Pat Pieper (1886–1974), American sports announcer

## Writing

* Ailsa Piper (born 1959), Australian actress, playwright, and director
* David Piper (curator) (1918–1990), British museum curator and author
* Evelyn Piper, pen name of Merriam Modell (1908–1994), American author of short stories, suspense and pulp fiction
* H. Beam Piper (1904–1964), American science fiction author
* John Piper (theologian) (born 1946), American Calvinist Baptist preacher and author
* Michael Collins Piper (born 1960), American political writer, conspiracy theorist, and talk radio host

## Other people

* Arthur William Piper (1865–1936), judge of the Supreme Court of South Australia
* Carl Edward Vilhelm Piper (1820-1891), Swedish nobleman and diplomat
* Earl S. Piper (1905–1979), U.S. Marine Corps Brigadier general
* Hedda Piper (1746-1812), Swedish courtier
* John Piper (broadcaster), BBC radio host
* (John) Piper (c.1810–?), Indigenous Australian explorer
* John Piper (military officer) (1773-1851), Scottish-born officer, lieutenant-governor of Norfolk Island
* Katie Piper (born 1983), English former model and TV presenter who suffered an acid attack to the face
* Leonora Piper (1857–1950), American trance medium
* Peter Piper (Royal Navy officer) (1913–1995), Second World War officer
* Reg Piper (born 1942), Australian former Anglican bishop
* Robert Piper, Australian United Nations official
* Sophie Piper (1757–1816), Swedish countess
* Stina Piper (1734–1800), Swedish countess