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

Popoola, 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 Popoola surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Popoola in America

Popoola is the 57101st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Popoola surname appeared 357 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 Popoola.

We can also compare 2010 data for Popoola 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 Popoola

The surname Popoola has its origins in the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. The name is thought to have emerged during the 16th century, derived from the Yoruba words "opo" meaning "farm" and "ola" meaning "wealth." Together, Popoola can be interpreted to mean "wealthy farmer" or "prosperous farm."

The earliest known documented reference to the Popoola surname dates back to a land deed from the early 1600s in the region of Oyo, which was a prominent Yoruba kingdom at the time. The deed mentions a landowner by the name of Popoola, indicating the surname's use as a hereditary family name by that point.

In the late 17th century, the Popoola name appeared in a historical account of the Yoruba Wars, which detailed conflicts between various Yoruba kingdoms and sub-groups. A notable figure mentioned is Popoola Ogunleke, a military leader who fought in these wars and helped defend the Oyo kingdom from invading forces.

During the 19th century, the Popoola surname gained wider recognition with the rise of a prominent Yoruba family whose members held influential positions in the city of Ibadan. One such individual was Popoola Adeyemi (1820-1892), a highly respected chief and advisor to the Ibadan royal court.

Another notable Popoola was Popoola Akinbola (1876-1952), a pioneering educator who founded one of the first modern schools in Ibadan, aimed at providing Western-style education to the local population.

In more recent history, the Popoola surname has been carried by several accomplished individuals, including Popoola Olufemi (1920-2001), a renowned Nigerian writer and poet whose works explored themes of cultural identity and social change.

Throughout its history, the Popoola name has maintained a strong connection to its Yoruba roots and the agricultural heritage implied by its meaning. While the surname has spread beyond its original regional boundaries, it continues to be closely associated with the rich cultural traditions and history of the Yoruba people.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Popoola

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

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

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

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