Find out how popular the last name Copes is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Copes.

Copes, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Copes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Copes in America

Copes is the 15434th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Copes surname appeared 1,898 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Copes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Copes to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Copes

The surname Copes is of English origin, first recorded in the 14th century. It is a locational surname derived from the place name Cope in Oxfordshire, which itself comes from the Old English words 'copp' meaning a peak or hill and 'hop' meaning a small valley or enclosed place.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Copes can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as 'de Copes'. This suggests that the family hailed from the area of Cope in Oxfordshire at that time.

In the 15th century, the variant spelling 'Coopes' appears in records from Berkshire, indicating the surname's spread to neighboring counties. The 1524 Subsidy Rolls for Oxfordshire list a William Copes, providing evidence of the name's continued use in its place of origin.

The Copes surname is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, although the spelling is slightly different, appearing as 'de Coppa'. This entry refers to a landholder in Oxfordshire, suggesting the surname's noble or landed roots.

Notable individuals with the surname Copes include Sir Richard Copes (1566-1627), an English politician who served as Member of Parliament for Gatton and Thame. Another prominent figure was Edward Copes (1570-1640), an English clergyman and academic who became the Provost of Eton College in 1625.

In the 17th century, the Copes family established themselves in Virginia, USA, with Captain Walter Copes (1612-1688) being one of the earliest settlers. He served as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and was a prominent figure in the colony.

Other individuals of note include Sir John Copes (1664-1727), an English lawyer and politician who served as Chief Baron of the Exchequer, and Richard Copes (1762-1828), an English banker and philanthropist who founded the Copes Charity in Leyton, Essex.

While the Copes surname has its roots in England, particularly in the county of Oxfordshire, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with descendants bearing the name found in countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Copes

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Copes.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Copes was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Copes has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Copes was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Copes, please contact us.

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