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

Poepoe, 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 Poepoe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Poepoe in America

Poepoe is the 124548th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Poepoe surname appeared 138 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 Poepoe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Poepoe 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 Poepoe

The surname POEPOE is believed to have originated in Hawaii, likely during the 18th or 19th century. It is derived from the Hawaiian word "poe," which means "group" or "company," and the reduplication of the word creates the surname POEPOE.

In Hawaiian culture, surnames were often adopted later than in many other societies, as traditional Hawaiian naming practices involved using personal names or familial terms. The adoption of surnames in Hawaii accelerated with the increasing influence of Western culture and the establishment of written records.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname POEPOE can be found in the records of the Hawaiian Kingdom during the reign of King Kamehameha III (1825-1854). These records documented land ownership and other legal matters, and several individuals with the surname POEPOE were mentioned.

A notable figure with the surname POEPOE was John Poepoe (1856-1928), a Hawaiian politician and businessman. He served in the House of Representatives for the Territory of Hawaii and was involved in various commercial ventures, including the establishment of the Poepoe Ranch on the island of Molokai.

Another individual of historical significance was Mary Poepoe (1870-1945), a renowned Hawaiian lei maker and educator. She was instrumental in preserving and promoting the traditional art of lei making, and her work was recognized by the Bishop Museum in Honolulu.

In the early 20th century, James Poepoe (1892-1967) gained prominence as a Hawaiian composer and musician. His compositions, which incorporated traditional Hawaiian melodies and rhythms, helped to preserve and promote the cultural heritage of Hawaii.

Additionally, the surname POEPOE has been associated with several notable place names in Hawaii. For example, Poepoe Island is a small island located off the coast of Molokai, and Poepoe Valley is a scenic valley on the island of Kauai.

While the surname POEPOE may not have the same historical prominence as some other Hawaiian surnames, its roots can be traced back to the rich cultural traditions and history of the Hawaiian Islands. The name serves as a reminder of the enduring legacy of Hawaiian culture and the importance of preserving and celebrating one's heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Poepoe

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!