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

Diop, 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 Diop surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Diop in America

Diop is the 13506th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Diop surname appeared 2,246 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 Diop.

We can also compare 2010 data for Diop 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 Diop

The surname Diop originates from Senegal, a country located in West Africa. It is believed to have derived from the Wolof language, one of the most widely spoken languages in Senegal. The name Diop is thought to be a contraction of the phrase "diogou rab", which means "to seek knowledge" or "to be educated".

The earliest recorded instances of the name Diop can be traced back to the 13th century, during the reign of the Wolof Empire in present-day Senegal. The name is closely associated with the Wolof people, an ethnic group known for their rich cultural heritage and traditions.

One of the earliest notable figures with the surname Diop was Cheikh Anta Diop, a Senegalese historian, anthropologist, and scholar born in 1923. He made significant contributions to the study of African history and culture, challenging Eurocentric perspectives and advocating for the recognition of African civilizations' contributions to human civilization.

Another prominent individual with the Diop surname was Birago Diop, a Senegalese poet and playwright born in 1906. His works, such as "Lunes" and "Les Contes d'Ahmadou Koumba", celebrated the oral traditions and folklore of Senegal and served as a testament to the rich cultural heritage of the Wolof people.

In the 19th century, the Diop surname gained recognition with the birth of Ahmadou Bamba Diop (1853-1927), a Sufi Muslim scholar and the founder of the Mouridism movement in Senegal. His teachings and philosophy had a profound impact on the spiritual and social fabric of Senegal.

The name Diop has also been associated with various place names in Senegal, such as the villages of Diop Mbao and Diop Kaolack, reflecting the geographical roots of this surname.

Throughout history, several other notable figures have borne the Diop surname, including Boubacar Boris Diop, a contemporary Senegalese writer and journalist, and Aminata Diop, a Senegalese mathematician and educator who made significant contributions to the field of mathematics education in Africa.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Diop

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

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

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

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