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

Popal, 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 Popal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Popal in America

Popal is the 25620th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Popal surname appeared 963 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 Popal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Popal 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 Popal

The surname POPAL is believed to have originated from Afghanistan, where it is a common surname among the Pashtun ethnic group. The name is derived from the Pashto word "Popal," which means a type of tall grass or reeds that grow abundantly in the region.

Historically, surnames in Afghanistan often had their roots in occupations, physical characteristics, or geographical locations. In this case, POPAL likely referred to people who lived in areas where this particular type of grass or reed was prevalent, or perhaps those who worked with it in some capacity.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname POPAL date back to the 16th century, when it appears in various manuscripts and official records from the region. One notable example is the mention of a certain Malik Popal Khan, who was a prominent tribal leader in the Kandahar region during the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, a village called Popal Khel, located in the eastern part of Afghanistan, was named after a family or clan bearing the POPAL surname. This village still exists today and is home to many people with the same surname.

Throughout history, several individuals with the surname POPAL have achieved significant recognition and status. One such person was Abdul Salam Popal (1902-1984), an Afghan politician and diplomat who served as the country's ambassador to various nations, including the United States and the Soviet Union.

Another notable figure was Mohammed Hashim Popal (1929-2011), an Afghan journalist and writer who played a crucial role in the development of Afghan literature and media. He was a prolific author and was also the founder of the first Afghan news agency, Bakhtar News Agency.

In the realm of sports, Noor Ahmad Popal (born 1984) is a former Afghan cricketer who represented the Afghan national team in various international tournaments. He was part of the squad that helped Afghanistan gain One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) status.

Additionally, Masood Popal (born 1968) is an Afghan-American businessman and entrepreneur who has been involved in various ventures, including the establishment of the first private television network in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban regime.

The surname POPAL continues to be widely used in Afghanistan, as well as among the Afghan diaspora around the world. While its origins can be traced back to the Pashtun community, the name has transcended ethnic boundaries and is now found among various ethnic groups within the country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Popal

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

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

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

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