2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Ropa
A surname referring to a person involved with textiles or clothing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Ropa. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ropa 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Ropa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ropa, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (14.4%) and Hispanic (8.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ropa
The surname Ropa originates from Spain and can be traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "ropa," which means "clothing" or "garments." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who were involved in the textile industry or the production of clothes.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the archives of the city of Seville, where a merchant named Juan Ropa was mentioned in a document dated 1375. This document pertained to a trade agreement between Spanish and Italian merchants, indicating that the Ropa family may have been involved in international commerce.
In the 15th century, the name appeared in several historical records from the region of Catalonia. A notable figure was Jaume Ropa, a skilled weaver who lived in Barcelona during the 1460s. His reputation for crafting intricate fabrics earned him recognition among the local nobility.
During the 16th century, the Ropa surname spread to various parts of Spain, including the regions of Aragon and Valencia. In 1529, a document from the archives of the city of Zaragoza mentioned a farmer named Pedro Ropa, who owned a sizable plot of land near the Ebro River.
One of the most prominent individuals with the Ropa surname was Mariano Ropa, a Spanish military officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. Born in 1782 in Cartagena, he rose through the ranks and became a respected commander known for his strategic prowess. Mariano Ropa played a significant role in several battles against the French forces, including the Battle of Bailén in 1808.
Another notable figure was Catalina Ropa, a renowned artist from Valencia who lived in the 17th century. Born in 1610, she gained recognition for her intricate tapestries and embroidery work, which adorned many churches and noble households throughout Spain.
In the 18th century, the Ropa surname also appeared in various parts of Latin America, particularly in regions that were once under Spanish colonial rule. One example is Ignacio Ropa, a landowner and businessman who lived in Caracas, Venezuela, in the late 1700s.
Throughout its history, the Ropa surname has been associated with various occupations and professions, ranging from textile workers and farmers to artists and military personnel. While the name may have originated from humble beginnings, it has left an indelible mark across different regions of Spain and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ropa
Among Census respondents with the surname Ropa, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (14.4%) and Hispanic (8.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ropa 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 Ropa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.2% · 74
- Asian and Pacific Islander14.4% · 15
- Hispanic or Latino8.7% · 9
- Two or more races3.8% · 4
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ropa
Ropa appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,842 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Up 4,842 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 Ropa 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 | #158,432 | #153,590 | 3.1% |
| Count | 102 | 104 | 2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 16.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ropa bearers went from 102 to 104 (+2.0% change). The surname moved up 4,842 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #153,590.
FAQ
Ropa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ropa?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Ropa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Ropa?
Ropa ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 104 people with the surname Ropa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ropa.
Has Ropa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ropa went from 102 recorded bearers to 104. That is an increase of 2 (+2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Ropa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ropa, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (14.4%) and Hispanic (8.7%). 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 Ropa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.2% (74 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ropa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (14.4%), Hispanic (8.7%). 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 Ropa (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 Ropa mean?
A surname referring to a person involved with textiles or clothing. 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 Ropa (0.03 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 Ropa?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.