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

Coppola, 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 Coppola surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Coppola in America

Coppola is the 4091st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Coppola surname appeared 8,676 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Coppola.

We can also compare 2010 data for Coppola 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 Coppola

The surname Coppola originated in Italy and is derived from the Italian word "coppola," which refers to a type of traditional flat cap or hat. The name likely emerged as a descriptive nickname or occupational name for someone who made or sold such caps.

Coppola is a common surname in southern Italy, particularly in the regions of Campania, Calabria, and Sicily. It can be traced back to the 12th century, with early records mentioning individuals with this surname in various parts of the Italian peninsula.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Coppola can be found in the 13th-century manuscript "Codice Diplomatico Barese," which contains records from the city of Bari in the Apulia region. This manuscript mentions a certain "Petrus Coppola" in 1252.

Another notable historical reference is the "Registri della Cancelleria Angioina," a collection of documents from the Angevin dynasty that ruled Naples in the 13th and 14th centuries. This collection includes several mentions of individuals with the surname Coppola, such as "Philippo Coppola" in 1302 and "Nicola Coppola" in 1326.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Coppola comes from the town of Grumo Nevano, near Naples, where a document dated 1345 mentions a "Nicola Coppola" as a landowner in the area.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Coppola, including:

1. Carmine Coppola (1910-1991), an Italian-American composer and musician, best known for his work in film scores.
2. Francis Ford Coppola (born 1939), the acclaimed American film director, producer, and screenwriter, known for films such as "The Godfather" trilogy, "Apocalypse Now," and "The Conversation."
3. Niccolò Coppola (1510-1589), an Italian painter and architect from the Renaissance period, active in Naples and Rome.
4. Gian Carlo Coppola (1615-1689), an Italian philosopher and theologian from the Baroque era, who taught at the University of Naples.
5. Vincenzo Coppola (1598-1659), an Italian composer and organist from Naples, known for his sacred music compositions.

While the name Coppola has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Italian migration and diaspora communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Coppola

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

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 Coppola 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 Coppola 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 Coppola was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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