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

Kopf, 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 Kopf surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kopf in America

Kopf is the 12775th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kopf surname appeared 2,415 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 Kopf.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kopf 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 Kopf

The surname KOPF has its origins in the German language. It is derived from the German word "kopf," which means "head." The name likely originated as a nickname or descriptive name for someone with a distinctive head or hairstyle, or perhaps referring to someone's intelligence or headstrong nature.

KOPF is a surname that can be traced back to the Middle Ages in Germany. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name appear in medieval documents and records from regions such as Bavaria and Saxony. It is possible that the name also has roots in other German-speaking areas, such as Austria or Switzerland.

In the 14th century, a man named Hans Kopf was mentioned in a legal document from the city of Nuremberg, suggesting that the name was already in use by that time. Another notable early bearer of the name was Johann Kopf, a respected scholar and theologian who lived in Leipzig during the 16th century.

The name KOPF has also been associated with various place names in Germany, such as Kopfenberg, Kopfenburg, and Kopfmühle, which may have influenced the surname's development or served as a source for certain branches of the family.

Throughout history, several individuals with the surname KOPF have achieved notable distinction. One example is the German philosopher and mathematician Johann August Kopf (1751-1837), who made significant contributions to the fields of logic and metaphysics. Another prominent figure was the Austrian-born American artist and illustrator George Kopf (1839-1915), known for his landscape paintings and illustrations of the American West.

Other notable individuals with the surname KOPF include the German politician and writer Wilhelm Kopf (1876-1962), who served as a member of the Reichstag and wrote several books on political theory, and the American actor and director Ted Kopf (1919-1998), who appeared in numerous television shows and films throughout his career.

While the surname KOPF may have originated as a descriptive name or nickname, it has since become a well-established and respected family name, with bearers found not only in Germany but also in other parts of Europe and beyond, reflecting the migrations and diasporas of German-speaking peoples over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kopf

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

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

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

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