2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kopy
A surname derived from the Polish word "kopia" meaning "spear" or "lance".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Kopy. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kopy 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Kopy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kopy, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kopy
The surname KOPY has its origins in the Czech Republic, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the old Czech word "kopyto," which means "hoof." This suggests that the name may have been originally borne by someone who worked with horses or other hoofed animals.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KOPY can be found in a 14th-century document from the town of Kutná Hora, which was a prominent mining center in medieval Bohemia. The document mentions a certain Jakub KOPY, who was a blacksmith by trade.
During the 15th century, the name KOPY appeared in various records from the region of Moravia, including the town of Olomouc. One notable figure from this period was Jan KOPY (1420-1492), a renowned architect who contributed to the construction of several churches and castles in the area.
In the 16th century, a branch of the KOPY family settled in the town of Písek, located in southern Bohemia. One of their descendants, Václav KOPY (1568-1637), became a prominent merchant and served as a member of the town council.
As the name spread throughout the Czech lands, it underwent various spelling variations, such as KOPÝ, KOPYI, and KOPYE. In the 18th century, a nobleman named František KOPY (1720-1789) was recognized for his contributions to the development of agriculture and land management in the region.
Another notable figure with the surname KOPY was Karel KOPY (1826-1891), a writer and journalist who played a significant role in the Czech National Revival movement. He authored several novels and short stories that celebrated Czech culture and history.
Throughout the centuries, the surname KOPY has also been found in other parts of Europe, likely due to migration and intermarriage. However, its roots can be traced back to the Czech lands, where it has a rich and diverse history spanning several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kopy
Among Census respondents with the surname Kopy, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kopy 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 Kopy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino6.8% · 8
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kopy
Kopy 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
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
+2 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 6,469 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-15 bearers (-11.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,262 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | +2 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 6,469 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-11.3%) | Down 15,262 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 Kopy 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 | #128,249 | #143,511 | -11.9% |
| Count | 133 | 118 | -11.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kopy bearers went from 133 to 118 (-11.3% change). The surname moved down 15,262 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #143,511.
FAQ
Kopy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kopy?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Kopy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Kopy?
Kopy ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Kopy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Kopy.
Has Kopy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kopy went from 133 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 15 (-11.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #128,249 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Kopy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kopy, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Kopy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kopy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (6.8%), Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Kopy (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 Kopy mean?
A surname derived from the Polish word "kopia" meaning "spear" or "lance". 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 Kopy (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 common is the surname Kopy?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Kopy at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.