2000
#3,685
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,849
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.28
Rare Last name
Popp
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) occupational surname referring to a doll maker, from Middle High German "poppe" meaning "doll".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,879 Americans carry the last name Popp. That puts it at #4,003 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,695 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Popp 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Popp with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.9K
1 in 34,695
Census rank
#4,003
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,615 bearers of the surname Popp in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4003rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Popp, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Popp
The surname Popp has its origins in Germany, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Poppe," which was a nickname for someone who was plump or rotund. This nickname likely stemmed from the Old German word "puppa," meaning "bulge" or "swelling."
In the early Middle Ages, the use of surnames was not widespread, and people were often identified by their given name, occupation, or physical characteristic. As the population grew, the need for more specific identification arose, leading to the adoption of hereditary surnames.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Popp can be found in various German records and manuscripts from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is the mention of a "Henricus Poppe" in a document from the city of Göttingen in 1292.
Over time, the name Popp spread to various regions of Germany, and variations in spelling emerged, such as Poppé, Poppen, and Poppes. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and scribal practices.
In the 16th century, a notable bearer of the name was Johann Popp (1516-1569), a German Protestant theologian and reformer. He played a significant role in the Reformation movement and was known for his writings and sermons.
Another prominent figure with the surname Popp was Johann Christoph Popp (1679-1753), a German theologian and philosopher. He was a professor at the University of Leipzig and made significant contributions to the fields of logic and metaphysics.
In the 19th century, Carl Eduard Popp (1830-1904) was a German botanist and teacher who specialized in the study of mosses and liverworts. He made significant contributions to the field of bryology and published several works on the subject.
Moving into the 20th century, Max Popp (1888-1962) was a German film director and screenwriter who worked during the silent film era and the early years of sound films. He directed several notable films, including "Die Försterchristl" (1952) and "Königliche Hoheit" (1953).
Another notable bearer of the surname was Gerd Popp (1912-1997), a German physicist and engineer. He made significant contributions to the field of optics and was known for his work on laser technology and holography.
While the surname Popp has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, the historical evidence suggests that its origins can be traced back to the German-speaking regions of Europe, where it emerged as a descriptive nickname in the Middle Ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Popp
Among Census respondents with the surname Popp, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Popp 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 Popp surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 7,978
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 259
- Two or more races2.9% · 247
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 69
- Black or African American0.5% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Popp
Popp 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
#3,973
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,947
+98 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 3.03
Rank movement Down 288 places
2020
#4,003
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,615
-332 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 2.88
Rank movement Down 30 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,685 | 8,849 | 3.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,973 | 8,947 | 3.03 | +98 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 288 places |
| 2020 | #4,003 | 8,615 | 2.88 | -332 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 30 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 Popp 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 | #3,973 | #4,003 | -0.8% |
| Count | 8,947 | 8,615 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 3.03 | 2.88 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Popp bearers went from 8,947 to 8,615 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 30 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,973 to #4,003.
FAQ
Popp surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Popp?
Name Census estimates that about 9,879 living Americans carry the surname Popp. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 34,695 residents.
How common is Popp?
Popp ranks #4,003 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.88 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,615 people with the surname Popp. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,879), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.88 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Popp.
Has Popp become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Popp went from 8,947 recorded bearers to 8,615. That is a decrease of 332 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,973 to #4,003.
What does the Census say about the background of Popp?
Among Census respondents with the surname Popp, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Popp in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (7,978 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Popp appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Popp (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 Popp mean?
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) occupational surname referring to a doll maker, from Middle High German "poppe" meaning "doll". 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 Popp (2.88 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 common is the surname Popp?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Popp at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.