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

Poppy, 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 Poppy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Poppy in America

Poppy is the 51281st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Poppy surname appeared 406 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 Poppy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Poppy 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 Poppy

The surname Poppy is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "popie," meaning a small bundle or package. It is believed to have originated as an occupational name for a seller of poppies or a nickname for someone with a round, plump figure, resembling a poppy flower.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "le Popi" and "Popy," in records from counties like Suffolk and Essex. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where a Richard Popy was mentioned.

During the 14th century, the spelling "Poppy" emerged more prominently, as evidenced in the Poll Tax Returns of 1381, which listed individuals like John Poppy of Yorkshire and Agnes Poppy of Cambridgeshire.

Notable historical figures with the surname Poppy include William Poppy, a 16th-century English composer and musician, who served as a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the name was associated with the Poppy family of Huntingdonshire, a notable family of landowners and gentry. One prominent member was Sir Edmund Poppy (1612-1670), a Member of Parliament and High Sheriff of Huntingdonshire.

The 18th century saw the rise of William Poppy (1701-1764), an English architect and surveyor responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the Church of St. John the Baptist in Coventry.

In the 19th century, Henry Poppy (1818-1892) was a renowned English engraver and illustrator, known for his intricate woodcut illustrations in books and magazines.

Another significant figure was John Poppy (1854-1921), a British trade unionist and politician who served as the General Secretary of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants and was elected as a Member of Parliament for South Salford in 1906.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Poppy

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

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

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

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