Epperson

Epperson is a surname of English origin. It is borne by people in the United Kingdom and in countries with English-speaking populations, particularly the United States, where bearers of the name have been documented since the 18th and 19th centuries. The precise etymology is not definitively established, but the name is generally treated as an ancestral surname with roots in medieval England. The term is encountered in genealogical records and in a variety of historical documents across regions where English surnames are common.

A notable use of the name in legal history is Epperson v. Arkansas, a United States Supreme Court decision issued in 1968. The Court struck down an Arkansas statute that prohibited the teaching of human evolution in public schools, holding that the law violated the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause because it advanced a particular religious viewpoint and sought to suppress a scientific theory. The decision reinforced the principle that public education must remain neutral with respect to religion and science and cannot be used to promote or inhibit religious doctrines.

In general reference works, the surname Epperson is treated as one of many English-origin family names that have spread through migration and settlement. It is carried by a variety of individuals across professional fields, and while it is associated with the landmark court case, no single figure named Epperson dominates public recognition. The name appears in genealogical databases and historical records as part of broader studies of surname distribution and lineage.