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

Poppen, 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 Poppen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Poppen in America

Poppen is the 31285th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Poppen surname appeared 741 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 Poppen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Poppen 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 Poppen

The surname POPPEN is of German origin, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around modern-day Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name POPPEN can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the city of Bremen, dating back to the 13th century. This suggests that the name was already in use during this time period.

The name POPPEN is thought to be derived from the German word "Puppe," which means "doll" or "puppet." It is likely that the surname was originally an occupational name, referring to a doll maker or a puppeteer. However, some historians also suggest that it could have been a nickname given to someone who was considered small or childlike in stature or behavior.

In the 16th century, a notable figure named Johann POPPEN (1516-1570) was a Lutheran theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in Germany. He was born in Rostock and later became a professor at the University of Greifswald.

During the 17th century, the POPPEN surname appeared in various records across northern Germany, including the Kirchenbücher (church registers) of several towns and villages. One such record mentions a Hans POPPEN, who was born in Lübeck in 1621.

In the 18th century, the name POPPEN gained some prominence in the field of art. Johann Heinrich POPPEN (1734-1803) was a German painter and engraver from Hamburg, known for his landscape paintings and engravings of architectural subjects.

Another notable figure with the POPPEN surname was Carl Adolph POPPEN (1788-1851), a German botanist and explorer who traveled extensively in South America and the Caribbean. He made significant contributions to the study of flora in these regions and is remembered for his detailed botanical illustrations.

As the POPPEN family spread across Germany and other parts of Europe, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as POPEN, POPPEN, and POEPPEL. However, the core meaning and origin of the surname remained consistent throughout its history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Poppen

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

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

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

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