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

Popa, 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 Popa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Popa in America

Popa is the 11428th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Popa surname appeared 2,757 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Popa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Popa 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 Popa

The surname Popa has its origins in Romania, where it first emerged in the 15th century. It is derived from the Romanian word "popă," which means "priest" or "cleric." The name was initially associated with members of the clergy, particularly those of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

During the medieval period, the name Popa appeared in various historical records and manuscripts from the region. One notable example is the Codex Sturdzanus, a 15th-century manuscript that contains references to individuals with this surname.

The earliest recorded bearer of the name Popa is believed to be Mihai Popa, a Romanian priest who lived in the late 15th century. Another notable figure was Radu Popa, a 16th-century Wallachian nobleman and military leader who played a significant role in the conflicts between Wallachia and the Ottoman Empire.

In the 17th century, the name Popa became more widespread among the general population, as it was adopted by families who had ancestral ties to members of the clergy. One prominent individual from this period was Andrei Popa (1636-1693), a Romanian scholar and writer who made significant contributions to the development of the Romanian language and literature.

The 18th century saw the rise of several notable figures bearing the surname Popa. Vasile Popa (1724-1799) was a renowned Romanian painter and iconographer, known for his frescoes in numerous churches throughout the region. Another notable figure was Petru Popa (1737-1799), a Romanian philosopher and educator who played a crucial role in the intellectual movement of the Transylvanian Enlightenment.

In the 19th century, the name Popa continued to be associated with various individuals of historical significance. One such figure was Ion Popa-Hubenescu (1801-1876), a Romanian politician and jurist who served as the Prime Minister of Wallachia between 1859 and 1860.

Throughout its history, the surname Popa has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including clergy, nobility, scholars, artists, and political figures. While its origins can be traced back to the Eastern Orthodox Church in Romania, the name has since become widespread and can be found among Romanian communities worldwide.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Popa

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

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

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

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