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

Joplin, 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 Joplin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Joplin in America

Joplin is the 14233rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Joplin surname appeared 2,107 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 Joplin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Joplin 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 Joplin

The surname Joplin is of English origin, and it is believed to have originated in the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the town of Joplin in Derbyshire, England. The name is thought to be a combination of the Old English words "hop" and "hlyn," which together mean "hill beside a valley."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Joplin can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Ioppelinge." This suggests that the surname was already in use by the late 11th century, likely referring to people who hailed from the town of Joplin.

In the 13th century, records show a person named William de Jopline, indicating that the surname had evolved to its more modern spelling by that time. The "de" prefix denotes that William was from the place called Jopline or Joplin.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Joplin was John Joplin, who was born in Derbyshire in 1543. He was a prominent merchant and landowner in the region.

Another notable figure was Robert Joplin (1613-1678), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the rector of St. Giles-in-the-Fields in London.

The name gained wider recognition in the 19th century with the birth of Scott Joplin (1868-1917), the renowned African American composer and pianist who was known as the "King of Ragtime." His compositions, such as "The Entertainer" and "Maple Leaf Rag," became iconic works of American music.

In the literary world, Cleo Joplin (1899-1976) was an American author and journalist who wrote several novels and short stories, including the critically acclaimed "The Lost Generation."

Another notable bearer of the surname was Arthur Joplin (1900-1970), a British artist and painter who was known for his landscapes and portraits.

While the surname Joplin has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, where it gained prominence due to the legacy of Scott Joplin and his contributions to American music.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Joplin

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

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

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

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