2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Popiela
Polish surname derived from the Polish word for "ashes," potentially indicating an occupation related to ash or cinder production.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Popiela. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Popiela 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.
Bearers in the US
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Popiela in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Popiela, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.7%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Popiela
The surname Popiela is of Polish origin, with its earliest known roots dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the old Polish word "popiel," meaning "ashes" or "ember." This could suggest that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked with fire, such as a blacksmith or a baker.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Popiela can be found in the 12th-century Polish chronicle "Gesta Principum Polonorum" (Deeds of the Princes of Poland), written by an anonymous author known as Gallus Anonymus. The chronicle mentions a legendary Polish ruler named Popiel, who is said to have been devoured by mice as punishment for his cruelty.
In the 14th century, a nobleman named Jakub Popiela was mentioned in the records of the city of Krakow, where he held a prominent position. This suggests that the Popiela name had already established itself among the Polish nobility by that time.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Popiela family played a significant role in the history of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. One notable member was Jan Popiela (1540-1604), a military commander and castellan of Sandomierz, who fought in battles against the Swedes and the Ottomans.
Another notable figure was Mikołaj Popiela (1610-1678), a Catholic bishop and writer who served as the Bishop of Chełm and wrote several theological works.
In the 18th century, the Popiela name was associated with the Polish nobility and landowners. One example is Kazimierz Popiela (1720-1790), a wealthy landowner and patron of the arts, who owned numerous estates in the Kraków region.
Throughout history, the name Popiela has also been associated with various place names in Poland, such as the village of Popiele in the Lublin Voivodeship and the town of Popielewo in the Pomeranian Voivodeship. These place names may have originated from the Popiela family or from the Polish word "popiel" itself.
Overall, the surname Popiela has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval Poland, where it was associated with nobility, military service, and various professions. Its origins are deeply rooted in the Polish language and culture, reflecting the country's long and fascinating history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Popiela
Among Census respondents with the surname Popiela, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.7%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Popiela 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 Popiela surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 95
- Two or more races5.7% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Popiela
Popiela 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,087 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-7 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,138 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 13,087 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 6,138 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 Popiela 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 | #146,201 | #152,339 | -4.2% |
| Count | 113 | 106 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Popiela bearers went from 113 to 106 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 6,138 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #152,339.
FAQ
Popiela surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Popiela?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Popiela. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Popiela?
Popiela ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 106 people with the surname Popiela. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Popiela.
Has Popiela become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Popiela went from 113 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Popiela?
Among Census respondents with the surname Popiela, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.7%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Popiela in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Popiela appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Two or More Races (5.7%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Popiela (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 Popiela mean?
Polish surname derived from the Polish word for "ashes," potentially indicating an occupation related to ash or cinder production. 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 Popiela (0.04 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 share the surname Popiela?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.