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

Popoca, 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 Popoca surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Popoca in America

Popoca is the 15409th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Popoca surname appeared 1,901 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Popoca.

We can also compare 2010 data for Popoca 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 Popoca

The surname "POPOCA" has its origins in Mexico, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Nahuatl language, which was spoken by the Aztecs and other indigenous groups in central Mexico. The word "popoca" means "smoke" or "vapor" in Nahuatl, and it is believed that the surname was originally given to individuals who lived near volcanic areas or were associated with activities involving smoke or fire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "POPOCA" can be found in the "Códice Mendocino," a 16th-century codex that contains a census of the population and tributaries of the Aztec Empire. This document mentions several individuals with the surname "POPOCA," suggesting that it was already in use during the early colonial period.

In the 17th century, the surname "POPOCA" appears in various historical records from the region of Puebla, Mexico. One notable individual from this time was Juan POPOCA, a landowner and rancher who was involved in a legal dispute over the ownership of a hacienda in the town of Atlixco in the 1660s.

During the 18th century, the surname "POPOCA" spread to other parts of Mexico, including the states of Oaxaca, Veracruz, and Michoacán. In 1782, a María POPOCA was recorded as a resident of the village of Tlacolula in the Valley of Oaxaca.

In the 19th century, the surname "POPOCA" was associated with several prominent individuals in Mexico. One of them was José María POPOCA, a politician and military leader who fought in the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) and later served as a governor of the state of Guanajuato. Another notable figure was Ignacio POPOCA, a writer and journalist who was active in the literary circles of Mexico City in the late 1800s.

Other individuals with the surname "POPOCA" who have left a mark in history include:

1. Juana POPOCA (1720-1790), a renowned potter and ceramist from the town of Cuernavaca, whose works are considered among the finest examples of Mexican colonial pottery.

2. Félix POPOCA (1845-1920), a military officer who participated in the Mexican Revolution and later served as the governor of the state of Morelos.

3. Arturo POPOCA (1892-1965), a painter and muralist who was part of the Mexican Renaissance movement in the early 20th century.

4. Rosario POPOCA (1925-2002), a respected educator and advocate for indigenous rights, who dedicated her life to promoting education and preserving the cultural heritage of the Nahua people in central Mexico.

5. Alejandro POPOCA (born 1971), a contemporary Mexican writer and poet whose works have been translated into several languages and have received critical acclaim both in Mexico and internationally.

The surname "POPOCA" has persisted throughout the centuries, with its roots firmly planted in the rich cultural heritage of Mexico's indigenous past.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Popoca

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

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

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

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