2000
#111,119
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 147
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Popkins
A pet form of the surname derived from the old English word "pop" meaning a small hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Popkins. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Popkins 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Popkins in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Popkins, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (19.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Popkins
The surname Popkins is of English origin and is believed to have originated in the late 16th or early 17th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "popp" meaning a small spool or bobbin used in weaving, and "kin" meaning a small or diminutive form. This suggests that the name was likely an occupational surname referring to someone who worked as a weaver or in the textile industry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham, where a John Popkins is listed as being born in 1612. The name also appears in the Hearth Tax Rolls for Worcestershire in 1672, where a Thomas Popkins is listed as a taxpayer.
In the late 17th century, there is a record of a Samuel Popkins who was a prominent merchant and trader based in Bristol, England. He is mentioned in several historical documents relating to the city's maritime trade during that time.
A notable figure with the surname Popkins was William Popkins (1701-1784), a renowned clockmaker from London. His clocks and timepieces were highly sought after and can be found in several museums and private collections today.
Another individual of note was Mary Popkins (1756-1832), a philanthropist and social reformer from Gloucestershire. She was instrumental in establishing several schools and orphanages in the region and was widely respected for her charitable work.
In the 19th century, there was a Richard Popkins (1823-1891) who was a respected botanist and horticulturist. He is credited with introducing several new plant species to Britain and authored several books on gardening and horticulture.
The surname Popkins can also be found in various historical records and documents from other parts of England, including Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Dorset. While the name is predominantly of English origin, it has also been recorded in some parts of Scotland and Wales over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Popkins
Among Census respondents with the surname Popkins, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (19.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Popkins 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 Popkins surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.1% · 86
- Hispanic or Latino19.8% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.4% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Popkins
Popkins 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
#133,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
-20 bearers (-13.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,929 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-11 bearers (-8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,980 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #111,119 | 147 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,048 | 127 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-13.6%) | Down 21,929 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.7%) | Down 11,980 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 Popkins 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 | #133,048 | #145,028 | -9.0% |
| Count | 127 | 116 | -8.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Popkins bearers went from 127 to 116 (-8.7% change). The surname moved down 11,980 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,048 to #145,028.
FAQ
Popkins surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Popkins?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Popkins. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Popkins?
Popkins ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Popkins. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Popkins.
Has Popkins become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Popkins went from 127 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 11 (-8.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,048 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Popkins?
Among Census respondents with the surname Popkins, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (19.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%). 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 Popkins in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.1% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Popkins appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.1%), Hispanic (19.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%). 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 Popkins (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 Popkins mean?
A pet form of the surname derived from the old English word "pop" meaning a small hill. 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 Popkins (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 Popkins?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.