Kopacz last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Kopacz

A Polish surname derived from the word "kopacz" meaning a digger or coal miner.

Kopacz, 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 Kopacz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kopacz in America

Kopacz is the 19803rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kopacz surname appeared 1,358 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kopacz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kopacz 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 19803 19248 2.84%
Count 1,358 1,303 4.13%
Proportion per 100k 0.46 0.48 -4.26%

The history of the last name Kopacz

The surname Kopacz is of Polish origin, originating in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Polish word "kopac," meaning "to dig." This suggests that the name was likely occupational in nature, referring to someone who worked as a digger or miner.

The name Kopacz is thought to have originated in the regions of Lesser Poland and Silesia, which were heavily involved in mining and quarrying activities during the medieval period. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 14th century, appearing in various historical documents and records from these regions.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name Kopacz was Jan Kopacz, a prominent merchant and landowner from the city of Krakow in the 15th century. His name is mentioned in several trade records and land deeds from the mid-1400s.

Another notable figure with the surname Kopacz was Maciej Kopacz, a skilled blacksmith who lived in the town of Tarnów during the late 16th century. His work was highly regarded, and he was commissioned to create intricate metalwork for several churches and noble estates in the region.

In the 17th century, a man named Jakub Kopacz gained recognition as a talented painter and fresco artist. He was born in the village of Biecz in 1624 and is known for his work in decorating numerous churches and monasteries throughout Lesser Poland.

During the 18th century, a notable figure named Tomasz Kopacz served as a military officer in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. He fought in several campaigns against the invading forces of Russia and Prussia, earning recognition for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.

Another individual of note was Zofia Kopacz, a renowned herbalist and healer who lived in the village of Opole in the early 19th century. Her knowledge of medicinal plants and traditional remedies was highly respected, and she was sought after by people from surrounding villages for her expertise.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Kopacz. While the name originated as an occupational descriptor, it eventually became a widespread surname across Poland and other Slavic regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kopacz

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

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 Kopacz was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 96.32% 1,308
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.52% 7
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.74% 10
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.37% 5
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.40% 19
Hispanic Origin 0.66% 9

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 Kopacz has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 96.32% 96.85% -0.55%
Black 0.52% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.74% 0.61% 19.26%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.37% 0.69% -60.38%
Two or More Races 1.40% 1.15% 19.61%
Hispanic 0.66% (S)% (S)%

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

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

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"Kopacz last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/kopacz-surname-popularity/.

"Kopacz last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/kopacz-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Kopacz last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/kopacz-surname-popularity/.

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