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

Popejoy, 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 Popejoy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Popejoy in America

Popejoy is the 20037th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Popejoy surname appeared 1,335 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 Popejoy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Popejoy 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 Popejoy

The surname Popejoy is of English origin, deriving from a medieval locational name. It is believed to have originated in the 13th century from a place called Popejoy or Popejoy's Farm in Hampshire, England. The name itself is thought to be a combination of the Old English words "pop" and "ey," meaning "priest" and "island" respectively, suggesting it may have referred to an island or area of land owned or governed by a member of the clergy.

While there are no definitive records of the name's appearance in historical documents like the Domesday Book, there are references to similar place names in Hampshire dating back to the 14th century. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname is found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Crondall in Hampshire, where a Thomas Popejoy is mentioned in 1346.

Another early record of the name comes from the Patent Rolls of 1378, which document a John Popejoy being pardoned for a felony. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 14th century.

In the 16th century, there are records of a William Popejoy, born around 1510 in Hampshire, who is believed to have been a landowner and farmer. His descendants continued to use the surname in the area for several generations.

One notable figure with the surname was Sir Henry Popejoy (1592-1668), a Member of Parliament for Hampshire during the English Civil War. He was a staunch Royalist and fought alongside King Charles I's forces against the Parliamentarians.

Another historically significant individual bearing the name was John Popejoy (1633-1701), a prominent English merchant and trader in the East India Company. He made his fortune through trade with India and was known for his philanthropic efforts, establishing several schools and almshouses in his native Hampshire.

In the 18th century, the surname spread beyond Hampshire, with records showing Popejoys residing in other parts of southern England, including Dorset and Wiltshire. One notable example is Thomas Popejoy (1745-1823), a renowned clockmaker and inventor from Wiltshire, whose innovative timepiece designs were highly sought after by the British nobility.

Throughout the 19th century, the surname continued to be found across England, with notable individuals including the author and poet Elizabeth Popejoy (1818-1892) and the celebrated landscape painter William Popejoy (1839-1912), both of whom hailed from Hampshire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Popejoy

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

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

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

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