2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kopis
A Polish surname derived from the word "kop," meaning a dig or mound.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Kopis. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kopis 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Kopis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kopis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kopis
The surname "KOPIS" is of Greek origin, originating from the ancient Greek word "kopis," which referred to a type of ancient Greek sword or curved knife. This name is believed to have emerged in the Byzantine period, between the 4th and 15th centuries AD, when many Greek surnames began to take shape.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname "KOPIS" can be found in a 12th-century Byzantine manuscript, where it was used to identify a soldier or warrior. This suggests that the name may have been initially adopted by individuals who were associated with the military or had some connection to weaponry or warfare.
During the Byzantine era, the name "KOPIS" was primarily concentrated in the Greek-speaking regions of the Byzantine Empire, particularly in modern-day Greece, parts of Turkey, and other areas influenced by Greek culture and language.
In the 14th century, a notable figure with the surname "KOPIS" was Demetrios Kopis, a Byzantine scholar and philosopher who lived in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul). His writings on philosophy and theology were influential during that time period.
Another historical figure with the surname "KOPIS" was Georgios Kopis, a Greek merchant and trader who lived in the 16th century. He was known for his extensive trade networks throughout the Mediterranean region and played a significant role in the economic life of the time.
During the Ottoman period, which lasted from the 15th to the early 20th century, the surname "KOPIS" continued to be found in Greek communities within the Ottoman Empire. One notable individual with this surname was Ioannis Kopis, a Greek educator and intellectual who lived in the 18th century and was respected for his contributions to the Greek Enlightenment movement.
In the 19th century, the surname "KOPIS" began to spread beyond the Greek-speaking regions as a result of migration and diaspora. One example is Alexandros Kopis, a Greek-American businessman and philanthropist who lived in the United States and played a significant role in supporting Greek communities and causes in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While the surname "KOPIS" has its roots in ancient Greek culture and language, it has since been carried by individuals of Greek descent across various parts of the world, reflecting the history and migration patterns of the Greek diaspora over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kopis
Among Census respondents with the surname Kopis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kopis 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 Kopis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 100
- Two or more races4.6% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kopis
Kopis 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+8 bearers (+7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,293 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-4 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,004 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.6%) | Down 1,293 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 4,004 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 Kopis 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 | #146,201 | #150,205 | -2.7% |
| Count | 113 | 109 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kopis bearers went from 113 to 109 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 4,004 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #150,205.
FAQ
Kopis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kopis?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Kopis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Kopis?
Kopis ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Kopis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Kopis.
Has Kopis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kopis went from 113 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Kopis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kopis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Kopis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kopis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Two or More Races (4.6%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Kopis (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 Kopis mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "kop," meaning a dig or mound. 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 Kopis (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 Kopis?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.