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

Lopec, 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 Lopec surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lopec in America

Lopec is the 138304th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lopec surname appeared 121 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 Lopec.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lopec 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 Lopec

The surname Lopec has its origins in the Basque region of northern Spain and southern France, dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Basque word "lope," which means wolf. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a wolf's den or was known for their wolf-like characteristics.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lopec can be found in the Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla, a medieval manuscript from the Rioja region of Spain. In this document, a person named Lope Garcez is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction in the year 1076.

During the 13th century, the name Lopec appeared in various records in the Basque Country, often associated with places like Lopetegui, which means "the house of Lope" in Basque. This suggests that the name was commonly used as a patronymic, indicating the person's paternal lineage.

In the 14th century, a notable figure with the surname Lopec was Juan Lopec de Arrieta, a Basque nobleman who fought alongside King Alfonso XI of Castile in the Battle of Río Salado in 1340. He was born around 1310 and played a significant role in the victory over the Marinid dynasty of Morocco.

Another historical figure with the name Lopec was Pedro Lopec de Ayala, a Spanish diplomat and chronicler who lived from 1332 to 1407. He served as a diplomat and ambassador for several Castilian kings and wrote important chronicles documenting the reigns of Peter the Cruel and Henry II of Castile.

In the 16th century, a prominent figure with the surname Lopec was Gaspar Lopec de Quintanilla, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico. He was born around 1490 and played a crucial role in the fall of the Aztec Empire.

Over the centuries, the surname Lopec has undergone various spelling variations, such as Lopez, Lopetz, and Lopezz, but it has maintained its Basque roots and connection to the region's history and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lopec

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

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

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

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