2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Adepoju
One who wears the crown, suggesting royalty or a high position of authority in the Yoruba tradition.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 589 Americans carry the last name Adepoju. That puts it at #44,906 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 581,926 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Adepoju surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Adepoju with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
589
1 in 581,926
Census rank
#44,906
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
514
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 514 bearers of the surname Adepoju in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 44906th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Adepoju, the largest self-reported group is Black at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and White (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Adepoju
The surname Adepoju has its origins in the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. It is a combination of two Yoruba words: "ade" meaning "crown" or "royalty", and "poju" meaning "to possess" or "to own". Thus, the name Adepoju can be interpreted to mean "one who possesses royalty" or "one who owns a crown".
The Yoruba people have a rich cultural heritage and a long history that dates back several centuries. The name Adepoju likely emerged during the era of the Oyo Empire, a prominent Yoruba kingdom that flourished between the 16th and 19th centuries. This empire was known for its powerful rulers and warriors, making the name Adepoju a fitting designation for individuals with a noble or regal lineage.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Adepoju can be found in the writings of Samuel Ajayi Crowther, a Yoruba explorer and missionary who lived in the 19th century. In his accounts, he mentions individuals bearing the name Adepoju, indicating the name's existence and usage during that time period.
Throughout history, several notable figures have carried the surname Adepoju. One such individual was Oba Adepoju Adeyemi, a ruler of the Oyo Empire who reigned in the late 18th century. He was known for his military prowess and his efforts to expand the empire's territory and influence.
Another prominent figure with the Adepoju surname was Chief Adepoju Ogundeji, a respected community leader and businessman in the early 20th century. He played a significant role in the development of his local community and was recognized for his contributions to the region's economic growth.
In the realm of sports, Adepoju Abiodun, born in 1970, was a Nigerian footballer who represented his country in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He had a successful career playing for various clubs in Nigeria and abroad, earning recognition as one of the country's most talented players of his time.
Another notable individual with the Adepoju surname was Adepoju Adeleke, a renowned Yoruba author and scholar who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His works focused on preserving and documenting the rich cultural traditions and folklore of the Yoruba people, making significant contributions to the study of Yoruba literature and history.
It is worth noting that the name Adepoju has also been associated with various locations and place names within the Yoruba region of Nigeria. For example, there is a town called Adepoju-Isinmi in the Ondo State, which likely derived its name from individuals or families with the Adepoju surname who settled in the area.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Adepoju
Among Census respondents with the surname Adepoju, the largest self-reported group is Black at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and White (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Adepoju bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Adepoju surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American95.9% · 493
- Two or more races1.8% · 9
- White1.6% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Adepoju
Adepoju appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#79,598
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 239
+113 bearers (+89.7%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 46,041 places
2020
#44,906
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 514
+275 bearers (+115.1%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Up 34,692 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #79,598 | 239 | 0.08 | +113 bearers (+89.7%) | Up 46,041 places |
| 2020 | #44,906 | 514 | 0.17 | +275 bearers (+115.1%) | Up 34,692 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Adepoju surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #79,598 | #44,906 | 43.6% |
| Count | 239 | 514 | 115.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.17 | 115.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Adepoju bearers went from 239 to 514 (+115.1% change). The surname moved up 34,692 positions in the national ranking, going from #79,598 to #44,906.
FAQ
Adepoju surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Adepoju?
Name Census estimates that about 589 living Americans carry the surname Adepoju. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 581,926 residents.
How common is Adepoju?
Adepoju ranks #44,906 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 514 people with the surname Adepoju. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (589), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Adepoju.
Has Adepoju become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Adepoju went from 239 recorded bearers to 514. That is an increase of 275 (+115.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #79,598 to #44,906.
What does the Census say about the background of Adepoju?
Among Census respondents with the surname Adepoju, the largest self-reported group is Black at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and White (1.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Adepoju in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.9% (493 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Adepoju appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (95.9%), Two or More Races (1.8%), White (1.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Adepoju (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Adepoju mean?
One who wears the crown, suggesting royalty or a high position of authority in the Yoruba tradition. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Adepoju (0.17 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Adepoju?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.