2000
#9,842
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,029
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.12
Rare Last name
Bopp
Derived from a shortened form of a Germanic personal name beginning with "Bod-," meaning "messenger" or "commander."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,124 Americans carry the last name Bopp. That puts it at #11,116 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 109,716 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bopp 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.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 109,716
Census rank
#11,116
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,724 bearers of the surname Bopp in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11116th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bopp, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bopp
The surname Bopp has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century or earlier. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Boppin," which means "to knock" or "to strike." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to an occupation or trade, such as a blacksmith or metalworker.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Bopp can be found in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, located in the Franconia region of Bavaria. In a document from 1524, a man named Hans Bopp was mentioned as a resident of the town, indicating that the name was already established at that time.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Bopp appeared in various records across Germany, particularly in the regions of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and Hesse. Some variations in spelling, such as Boppe and Bopps, were also observed in these documents.
Notable individuals with the surname Bopp include Franz Bopp (1791-1867), a German linguist and philologist who is considered one of the founders of modern comparative linguistics. His groundbreaking work on the systematic study of Indo-European languages earned him widespread recognition and influenced the field of linguistics for generations.
Another prominent figure was Carl Bopp (1808-1884), a German chemist and inventor who developed several processes for the production of dyes and pigments. He is credited with the invention of fuchsine, one of the first synthetic dyes, which revolutionized the textile industry.
In the realm of literature, Raoul Bopp (1887-1967) was a French poet and novelist who gained recognition for his works inspired by his travels to South America and his interest in indigenous cultures.
Franz Bopp (1791-1867), the linguist mentioned earlier, is considered one of the most influential figures in the study of Sanskrit and the comparative analysis of Indo-European languages. His seminal work, "A Comparative Grammar of Sanskrit, Zend, Greek, Latin, Lithuanian, Old Slavic, Gothic and German," published in 1833, laid the foundations for the field of comparative linguistics and the reconstruction of the Proto-Indo-European language.
Lastly, Franz Bopp (1885-1962), a German-American architect, made significant contributions to the field of urban planning and is known for his work in the development of the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the early 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bopp
Among Census respondents with the surname Bopp, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bopp 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 Bopp surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 2,514
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 112
- Two or more races2.6% · 70
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 17
- Black or African American0.3% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bopp
Bopp 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
#11,003
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,891
-138 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Down 1,161 places
2020
#11,116
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,724
-167 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Down 113 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,842 | 3,029 | 1.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,003 | 2,891 | 0.98 | -138 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 1,161 places |
| 2020 | #11,116 | 2,724 | 0.91 | -167 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 113 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 Bopp 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 | #11,003 | #11,116 | -1.0% |
| Count | 2,891 | 2,724 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.98 | 0.91 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bopp bearers went from 2,891 to 2,724 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 113 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,003 to #11,116.
FAQ
Bopp surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bopp?
Name Census estimates that about 3,124 living Americans carry the surname Bopp. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 109,716 residents.
How common is Bopp?
Bopp ranks #11,116 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,724 people with the surname Bopp. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.91 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bopp.
Has Bopp become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bopp went from 2,891 recorded bearers to 2,724. That is a decrease of 167 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,003 to #11,116.
What does the Census say about the background of Bopp?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bopp, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bopp in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (2,514 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bopp appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Bopp (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 Bopp mean?
Derived from a shortened form of a Germanic personal name beginning with "Bod-," meaning "messenger" or "commander." 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 Bopp (0.91 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 common is the surname Bopp?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Bopp at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.