2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kopca
A surname derived from a diminutive form of the given name Jacob.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Kopca. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kopca 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Kopca in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kopca, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.2%) and Hispanic (6.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kopca
The surname KOPCA is of Polish origin, tracing its roots back to the early 15th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Silesia, which was then part of the Kingdom of Poland. The name is derived from the Old Polish word "kopiec," meaning a mound or small hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname KOPCA can be found in the Polish town of Bytom, where a certain Jan KOPCA was mentioned in a municipal record dated 1412. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the early 1400s.
During the 16th century, the KOPCA surname appears to have spread across various parts of Poland, with records indicating families bearing the name in cities such as Krakow and Poznan. It is possible that some members of the KOPCA clan may have been involved in agricultural activities, as the name's association with mounds or hills could imply a connection to farming or land cultivation.
In the 17th century, a notable figure with the surname KOPCA was Marcin KOPCA (1598-1669), a Polish theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Krakow. His writings on metaphysics and ethics were widely influential during his time.
The 18th century saw the birth of Józef KOPCA (1734-1812), a Polish military officer who fought in the Kosciuszko Uprising against Russian forces in the late 18th century. His bravery and leadership during this conflict earned him recognition among his contemporaries.
Another prominent individual with the KOPCA surname was Karolina KOPCA (1825-1901), a Polish artist known for her landscape paintings and depictions of rural life. Her works were exhibited in several European cities and are now part of various museum collections.
In the 19th century, the name KOPCA appeared in various regions of what was then the Prussian partition of Poland, including areas around the cities of Bydgoszcz and Torun. This suggests that the surname had spread across a wider geographic area by this time.
The early 20th century saw the birth of Władysław KOPCA (1905-1975), a Polish writer and journalist who covered the events of World War II and the postwar period. His memoir, "Z Warszawy do Moskwy" (From Warsaw to Moscow), chronicles his experiences as a prisoner of war during the conflict.
Throughout its history, the surname KOPCA has maintained a strong presence in Poland, and it continues to be a recognizable Polish name to this day.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kopca
Among Census respondents with the surname Kopca, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.2%) and Hispanic (6.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Kopca 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 Kopca surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.6% · 92
- Two or more races8.2% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino6.4% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kopca
Kopca 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,559 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,099 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 6,559 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 1,099 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 Kopca 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 | #148,347 | #149,446 | -0.7% |
| Count | 111 | 110 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kopca bearers went from 111 to 110 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 1,099 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #149,446.
FAQ
Kopca surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kopca?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Kopca. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Kopca?
Kopca ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 110 people with the surname Kopca. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Kopca.
Has Kopca become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kopca went from 111 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Kopca?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kopca, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.2%) and Hispanic (6.4%). 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 Kopca in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.6% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kopca appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.6%), Two or More Races (8.2%), Hispanic (6.4%). 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 Kopca (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 Kopca mean?
A surname derived from a diminutive form of the given name Jacob. 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 Kopca (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Kopca?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.