2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Coppley
An occupational surname for someone who lived or worked near a copse or thicket.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Coppley. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coppley 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Coppley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coppley, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Coppley
The surname Coppley has its origins in England, with records indicating its presence dating back to the late 16th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English words "copp," meaning a hilltop or summit, and "leah," which refers to a meadow or clearing. This suggests that the name originated from a place name, potentially referring to a settlement or farmstead located on a hilltop meadow.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Coppley can be found in the parish records of Kirkby Malham, Yorkshire, where a William Coppley was christened in 1583. The surname also appears in the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1673, listing a Christopher Coppley as a resident of Staffordshire.
In the late 17th century, the Coppley name gained prominence with the birth of John Coppley (1665-1747), a renowned English clergyman and academic. Coppley was educated at Oxford University and later became the Warden of Manchester Collegiate Church, a position he held until his death.
Another notable figure with the Coppley surname was Sir Thomas Coppley (1719-1786), a British politician and landowner. He served as a Member of Parliament for Gatton from 1754 to 1768 and was also the High Sheriff of Lancashire in 1752.
The Coppley name can also be traced to the United States, with records showing its presence as early as the 18th century. One such individual was Joseph Coppley (1730-1808), who was born in England but later emigrated to Virginia, where he became a successful merchant and landowner.
In the 19th century, the Coppley family played a significant role in the industrial revolution in England. James Coppley (1822-1901), a textile manufacturer from Lancashire, established the Coppley Spinning Company, which became a prominent producer of cotton yarn and fabric.
Another notable figure from this period was the artist and illustrator Edward Coppley (1854-1932), who was renowned for his intricate woodcut engravings and illustrations in various publications, including the renowned Strand Magazine.
Throughout its history, the Coppley surname has been associated with various place names and locations, such as Coppley Hill in West Yorkshire and Coppley Bank in Cheshire. The name has also undergone slight variations in spelling, including Copley, Coplee, and Coppeley, reflecting the linguistic changes and regional dialects of the areas where it was prevalent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coppley
Among Census respondents with the surname Coppley, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Coppley 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 Coppley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coppley
Coppley 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+5 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,213 places
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-23 bearers (-18.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 18,678 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 4,213 places |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -23 bearers (-18.9%) | Down 18,678 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 Coppley 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 | #137,327 | #156,005 | -13.6% |
| Count | 122 | 99 | -18.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coppley bearers went from 122 to 99 (-18.9% change). The surname moved down 18,678 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #156,005.
FAQ
Coppley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coppley?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Coppley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Coppley?
Coppley ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 99 people with the surname Coppley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Coppley.
Has Coppley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coppley went from 122 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 23 (-18.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Coppley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coppley, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Coppley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coppley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Coppley (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 Coppley mean?
An occupational surname for someone who lived or worked near a copse or thicket. 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 Coppley (0.03 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 Coppley?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.