2000
#13,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,153
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.80
Rare Last name
Popa
A Romanian occupational surname referring to a priest or clergyman in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,314 Americans carry the last name Popa. That puts it at #10,583 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 103,426 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Popa 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 Popa with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 103,426
Census rank
#10,583
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,890 bearers of the surname Popa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10583rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Popa, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Popa
Among Census respondents with the surname Popa, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Popa 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 Popa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.0% · 2,513
- Hispanic or Latino7.9% · 227
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 78
- Two or more races1.8% · 52
- Black or African American0.7% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Popa
Popa 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
#11,428
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,757
+604 bearers (+28.1%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Up 1,620 places
2020
#10,583
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,890
+133 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Up 845 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,048 | 2,153 | 0.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,428 | 2,757 | 0.93 | +604 bearers (+28.1%) | Up 1,620 places |
| 2020 | #10,583 | 2,890 | 0.97 | +133 bearers (+4.8%) | Up 845 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 Popa 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 | #11,428 | #10,583 | 7.4% |
| Count | 2,757 | 2,890 | 4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.93 | 0.97 | 4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Popa bearers went from 2,757 to 2,890 (+4.8% change). The surname moved up 845 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,428 to #10,583.
FAQ
Popa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Popa?
Name Census estimates that about 3,314 living Americans carry the surname Popa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 103,426 residents.
How common is Popa?
Popa ranks #10,583 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.97 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 2,890 people with the surname Popa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,314), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.97 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 Popa.
Has Popa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Popa went from 2,757 recorded bearers to 2,890. That is an increase of 133 (+4.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,428 to #10,583.
What does the Census say about the background of Popa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Popa, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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 Popa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.0% (2,513 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Popa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.0%), Hispanic (7.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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 Popa (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 Popa mean?
A Romanian occupational surname referring to a priest or clergyman in the Eastern Orthodox Church. 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 Popa (0.97 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 surname Popa?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.