2000
#27,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 842
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.31
Very Rare Last name
Collopy
A variant spelling of the Scottish surname "Collopy", derived from a nickname for a person with untidy or unkempt hair.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 955 Americans carry the last name Collopy. That puts it at #30,091 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 358,905 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Collopy 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 Collopy with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
955
1 in 358,905
Census rank
#30,091
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
833
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 833 bearers of the surname Collopy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 30091st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Collopy, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Collopy
The surname Collopy is believed to have originated in Scotland, likely emerging during the Middle Ages. Its earliest roots can be traced back to the Scottish Gaelic phrase "coll pubaill," which translates to "hazel wood" or "hazel grove." This suggests that the name may have initially been a locative surname, indicating that the original bearers of the name resided near or came from an area abundant with hazel trees.
In historical records, the name Collopy appears in various spellings, including Colloppy, Colloppie, and Collopy. One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded the swearing of fealty to King Edward I of England by Scottish landholders. Among the names listed is "William de Collopy," indicating the presence of the surname in Scotland during the late 13th century.
The Collopy name has also been linked to several notable figures throughout history. One such individual was Sir John Collopy (1520-1586), a Scottish nobleman and landowner who served as a courtier under King James V and later Queen Mary. Another prominent bearer of the name was Robert Collopy (1650-1718), a Scottish minister and theologian who authored several religious treatises during the late 17th century.
In the 18th century, the Collopy surname can be found in various parish records and legal documents across Scotland. One notable example is John Collopy (1725-1795), a merchant and landowner from Aberdeenshire, who played a significant role in the local economy and politics of the region.
Moving into the 19th century, the name Collopy continued to appear in Scottish records. One noteworthy figure was William Collopy (1810-1879), a prominent businessman and philanthropist from Glasgow. He made significant contributions to the city's development and was instrumental in establishing several charitable organizations.
Another individual of note was Elizabeth Collopy (1865-1942), a Scottish author and poet who gained recognition for her works exploring themes of nature, love, and Scottish culture. Her poetry collections, such as "Heather Bells" and "Songs of the Highlands," were widely acclaimed during her lifetime.
While the Collopy surname is primarily associated with Scotland, it has also been found in various parts of the world, likely due to Scottish immigration and diaspora. However, the earliest recorded instances and historical references point to the name's Scottish origins and its connection to the hazel wood or hazel grove.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Collopy
Among Census respondents with the surname Collopy, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Collopy 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 Collopy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.4% · 778
- Two or more races2.8% · 23
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 13
- Black or African American0.2% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Collopy
Collopy 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
#28,065
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 853
+11 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Down 1,016 places
2020
#30,091
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 833
-20 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.28
Rank movement Down 2,026 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #27,049 | 842 | 0.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #28,065 | 853 | 0.29 | +11 bearers (+1.3%) | Down 1,016 places |
| 2020 | #30,091 | 833 | 0.28 | -20 bearers (-2.3%) | Down 2,026 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 Collopy 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 | #28,065 | #30,091 | -7.2% |
| Count | 853 | 833 | -2.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.29 | 0.28 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Collopy bearers went from 853 to 833 (-2.3% change). The surname moved down 2,026 positions in the national ranking, going from #28,065 to #30,091.
FAQ
Collopy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Collopy?
Name Census estimates that about 955 living Americans carry the surname Collopy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 358,905 residents.
How common is Collopy?
Collopy ranks #30,091 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.28 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 833 people with the surname Collopy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (955), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.28 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 Collopy.
Has Collopy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Collopy went from 853 recorded bearers to 833. That is a decrease of 20 (-2.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #28,065 to #30,091.
What does the Census say about the background of Collopy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Collopy, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Collopy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (778 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Collopy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.4%), Two or More Races (2.8%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Collopy (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 Collopy mean?
A variant spelling of the Scottish surname "Collopy", derived from a nickname for a person with untidy or unkempt hair. 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 Collopy (0.28 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 Collopy?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.