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

Popov, 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 Popov surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Popov in America

Popov is the 16593rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Popov surname appeared 1,728 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 Popov.

We can also compare 2010 data for Popov 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 Popov

The surname Popov is of Russian origin, with its roots traced back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Russian word "pop," which means a priest or a clergyman. The name suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname were descendants of priests or had some connection to the clergy.

In the early days, the name was often spelled as "Popoff" or "Popovich," reflecting regional variations and the influence of local dialects. The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Veliky Novgorod chronicles, which date back to the 12th century, where it was mentioned in reference to a certain Popov family residing in the region.

During the 14th century, the name Popov appeared in various historical documents, including the records of the Grand Duchy of Moscow. One notable figure from this time was Ivan Popov, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in the city of Novgorod between 1320 and 1380.

As time progressed, the Popov surname spread across various regions of Russia, and several prominent individuals bore this name. In the 16th century, Feodor Popov was a renowned icon painter who contributed significantly to the development of Russian religious art.

In the 18th century, Mikhail Popov (1742-1806) was a respected Russian architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Smolny Cathedral in St. Petersburg. His contemporary, Alexander Popov (1749-1827), was a celebrated actor and writer who made significant contributions to the Russian theater.

The 19th century saw the rise of another prominent figure, Alexander Popov (1859-1906), a Russian physicist and inventor who is credited with the invention of the radio. His groundbreaking work in wireless communication earned him a place in history as a pioneer in the field of radio technology.

Another notable bearer of the Popov surname was Nikolai Popov (1890-1943), a Soviet military commander who played a crucial role in the defense of Leningrad during World War II. His bravery and strategic leadership earned him the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Throughout history, the Popov surname has been associated with various professions, from clergy and merchants to artists, architects, scientists, and military leaders. While its origins can be traced back to the Russian Orthodox Church, the name has transcended its religious roots and become a part of Russia's rich cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Popov

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!