Žaper families are Croats and they are mostly from Sinj area. In the past century, relatively most of Croatian residents bearing this family name were born in Sinj area and in Sinj. In places Vrpolje and Čačvina in Sinj area every seventh inhabitant had the family name Žaper.
Prevalence
About 280 people with faimily name Žaper live in Croatia today, in 100 households. There were 160 of them in the middle of the past century, and their number increased by 80 percent. They are located in 10 Croatian counties, in 13 cities and 16 other places, mostly in Vrbanja in Zupanja area (50), Osijek (30), in Vrpolje (30) and Tijarica (25) in Sinj area, and in Split (25).
Outside Croatia
At least six families with this surname emigrated from Croatia to the United States (5) and Germany (1). Family name Žaper (including: Zaper , Zapper ) is present in 12 countries worldwide. The family name "Zaper " is used by some 100 people in the United States , small number in Brazil , and small number in Germany. "Zapper " is used by some 60 people in the United States.
In the sources analysed in the project Acta Croatica so far, the name is mentioned few times, the first time 2007 in source Encyclopaedia of Croatian Surnames.
