2000
#13,352
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,093
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.78
Rare Last name
Papadopoulos
A Greek patronymic surname meaning "son of a priest," derived from the Greek words "papas" (priest) and "poulos" (descendant).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,654 Americans carry the last name Papadopoulos. That puts it at #12,739 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 129,146 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Papadopoulos 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Papadopoulos with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 129,146
Census rank
#12,739
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,314 bearers of the surname Papadopoulos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12739th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Papadopoulos, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Papadopoulos
The surname Papadopoulos originated from Greece, tracing its roots back to the Byzantine era. It is derived from the Greek words "papas" meaning priest or father, and "poulos" meaning son. The name was initially given to the sons of priests and clergymen within the Greek Orthodox Church.
During the Byzantine period, the name Papadopoulos appeared in various historical records and manuscripts. One notable mention was in a 12th-century document from the Monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos, where a monk named Papadopoulos was listed among the signatories.
The earliest recorded example of the name dates back to the 14th century, when a certain Ioannis Papadopoulos was mentioned in a legal document from the island of Crete. This document was written in the Byzantine Greek language and included references to the village of Apokorona, which could be an older spelling of a place name associated with the surname.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure bearing the name Papadopoulos was Georgios Papadopoulos (1495-1568), a scholar and theologian from Constantinople. He was renowned for his contributions to the study of Greek literature and his defense of Orthodox Christianity during the tumultuous period of the Ottoman Empire.
Another notable individual was Konstantinos Papadopoulos (1655-1730), a Greek merchant and philanthropist from the island of Chios. He established several schools and charities in his homeland, leaving a lasting impact on the education and welfare of the local community.
In the 19th century, Alexandros Papadopoulos (1818-1892) was a Greek politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Kingdom of Greece. He played a crucial role in the negotiations that led to the recognition of Greece's independence by the Ottoman Empire.
During the 20th century, Giorgos Papadopoulos (1919-1999) was a prominent Greek military officer and statesman. He served as the Prime Minister and President of the ruling military junta in Greece from 1967 to 1973, a period marked by political turmoil and repression.
The surname Papadopoulos has a rich history and has been borne by many notable individuals throughout the centuries, reflecting its deep roots in Greek culture and the Greek Orthodox tradition.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Papadopoulos
Among Census respondents with the surname Papadopoulos, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Papadopoulos 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 Papadopoulos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 2,145
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 97
- Two or more races1.8% · 41
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 17
- Black or African American0.5% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Papadopoulos
Papadopoulos 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
#13,214
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,313
+220 bearers (+10.5%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Up 138 places
2020
#12,739
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,314
+1 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Up 475 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,352 | 2,093 | 0.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,214 | 2,313 | 0.78 | +220 bearers (+10.5%) | Up 138 places |
| 2020 | #12,739 | 2,314 | 0.77 | +1 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 475 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 Papadopoulos 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 | #13,214 | #12,739 | 3.6% |
| Count | 2,313 | 2,314 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 0.77 | -0.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Papadopoulos bearers went from 2,313 to 2,314 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 475 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,214 to #12,739.
FAQ
Papadopoulos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Papadopoulos?
Name Census estimates that about 2,654 living Americans carry the surname Papadopoulos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 129,146 residents.
How common is Papadopoulos?
Papadopoulos ranks #12,739 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,314 people with the surname Papadopoulos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,654), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Papadopoulos.
Has Papadopoulos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Papadopoulos went from 2,313 recorded bearers to 2,314. That is an increase of 1 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,214 to #12,739.
What does the Census say about the background of Papadopoulos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Papadopoulos, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Papadopoulos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (2,145 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Papadopoulos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Hispanic (4.2%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Papadopoulos (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 Papadopoulos mean?
A Greek patronymic surname meaning "son of a priest," derived from the Greek words "papas" (priest) and "poulos" (descendant). 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 Papadopoulos (0.77 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 people have the last name Papadopoulos?
See how many people have the surname Papadopoulos on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.