2000
#7,493
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.52
Rare Last name
Roop
Derived from the Middle Low German word "roup," meaning "to call out," likely referring to a town crier or auctioneer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,585 Americans carry the last name Roop. That puts it at #7,949 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 74,756 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Roop 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.
Bearers in the US
4.6K
1 in 74,756
Census rank
#7,949
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,998 bearers of the surname Roop in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7949th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Roop, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Roop
The surname ROOP is believed to have originated in India and is derived from the Sanskrit word "rupa," which means "form" or "beauty." It is a relatively common name among the Hindu communities of northern India, particularly in the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
The earliest recorded instances of the name ROOP can be traced back to ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, where it was often used as a descriptive term for individuals of exceptional physical appearance or spiritual radiance. The name gained prominence during the medieval period, when it was adopted as a surname by various families across northern India.
In the 16th century, the name ROOP appeared in several Persian and Mughal records, indicating its widespread use among the affluent and influential classes of the time. One notable figure was Roop Chand, a wealthy merchant and philanthropist from Delhi, who lived between 1550 and 1620.
During the British colonial era in India, the name ROOP was frequently encountered in administrative records and census documents. Several individuals bearing this surname gained recognition for their contributions to various fields, including literature, politics, and social reform.
One such individual was Roop Nath Singh (1854-1935), a renowned educationist and social reformer from Uttar Pradesh, who played a pivotal role in the establishment of several educational institutions and advocated for the rights of women and the underprivileged.
Another notable figure was Roop Chand Jain (1881-1955), a prolific Punjabi writer and poet who helped popularize the use of the Punjabi language in literature and contributed significantly to the cultural renaissance of the region.
In the realm of politics, Roop Lal Suri (1908-1977) was a prominent leader and activist who played a key role in India's independence movement and later served as a member of the Constituent Assembly, which drafted the country's constitution.
The name ROOP has also been associated with various place names and geographical locations across northern India. For instance, the town of Roop Nagar in Punjab and the village of Roop Shahr in Uttar Pradesh are believed to have derived their names from individuals or families bearing the surname ROOP.
While the surname ROOP has its roots in the Hindu tradition, it has also been adopted by members of other religious communities in India, reflecting the country's rich cultural diversity and the fluidity of names across different regions and social groups.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Roop
Among Census respondents with the surname Roop, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Roop 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 Roop surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 3,677
- Two or more races3.6% · 145
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 92
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 47
- Black or African American0.6% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Roop
Roop 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
#7,926
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,175
+74 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 1.42
Rank movement Down 433 places
2020
#7,949
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,998
-177 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 1.34
Rank movement Down 23 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,493 | 4,101 | 1.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,926 | 4,175 | 1.42 | +74 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 433 places |
| 2020 | #7,949 | 3,998 | 1.34 | -177 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 23 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 Roop 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 | #7,926 | #7,949 | -0.3% |
| Count | 4,175 | 3,998 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.42 | 1.34 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Roop bearers went from 4,175 to 3,998 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 23 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,926 to #7,949.
FAQ
Roop surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Roop?
Name Census estimates that about 4,585 living Americans carry the surname Roop. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 74,756 residents.
How common is Roop?
Roop ranks #7,949 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.34 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,998 people with the surname Roop. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,585), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.34 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Roop.
Has Roop become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Roop went from 4,175 recorded bearers to 3,998. That is a decrease of 177 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,926 to #7,949.
What does the Census say about the background of Roop?
Among Census respondents with the surname Roop, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Roop in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (3,677 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Roop appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Roop (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 Roop mean?
Derived from the Middle Low German word "roup," meaning "to call out," likely referring to a town crier or auctioneer. 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 Roop (1.34 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 many people have the surname Roop?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.