2000
#35,106
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 608
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.23
Very Rare Last name
Stopka
A Polish surname derived from the word "stopa," meaning foot or leg.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 816 Americans carry the last name Stopka. That puts it at #34,306 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 420,042 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stopka 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
816
1 in 420,042
Census rank
#34,306
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
712
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 712 bearers of the surname Stopka in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 34306th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stopka, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stopka
The surname Stopka has its origins in Poland, dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Polish word "stopa," which means "foot." This suggests that the name may have been given as a descriptive nickname to someone with a distinct physical characteristic related to their feet, such as an unusual gait or foot shape.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Stopka can be found in the historic town of Krakow, where a merchant named Jan Stopka is mentioned in city records from the year 1472. This indicates that the name was already established in the region during that period.
In the 16th century, the Stopka surname appeared in various Polish documents and manuscripts, including land ownership records and legal proceedings. Notable examples include Stanislaw Stopka, a landowner from the village of Lopuszna, mentioned in a deed from 1587, and Maciej Stopka, a blacksmith from the town of Kazimierz Dolny, who was involved in a legal dispute over property in 1592.
The Stopka name can also be traced to certain place names in Poland, such as the village of Stopka in the Lublin region. It is possible that the surname originated from this location, with early bearers adopting the name based on their place of origin or residence.
Throughout history, several individuals with the Stopka surname have achieved recognition in various fields. One notable figure was Józef Stopka (1808-1888), a Polish painter and artist known for his landscapes and portraits. His works can be found in museums across Poland.
Another prominent individual was Franciszek Stopka (1856-1920), a Polish engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early aviation technology. His designs for aircraft and flying machines were groundbreaking for the time.
In the literary realm, Józef Stopka (1879-1952) was a celebrated Polish poet and writer whose works explored themes of nature, love, and national identity. His poetry collections, such as "Wiersze" (Poems) and "Krzak dzikiej róży" (Wild Rose Bush), garnered critical acclaim.
The Stopka surname also has a notable presence in the field of science. Stanisław Stopka (1904-1982) was a renowned Polish mathematician and educator who made significant contributions to the study of functional analysis and differential equations.
Finally, in more recent times, Marek Stopka (born 1967) is a Polish football (soccer) player and manager who had a successful career playing for various clubs in Poland and abroad, including Legia Warsaw and Galatasaray S.K. in Turkey.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stopka
Among Census respondents with the surname Stopka, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Stopka 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 Stopka surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 659
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 36
- Two or more races1.7% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 3
- Black or African American0.1% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stopka
Stopka 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
#32,268
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 714
+106 bearers (+17.4%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Up 2,838 places
2020
#34,306
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 712
-2 bearers (-0.3%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Down 2,038 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #35,106 | 608 | 0.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #32,268 | 714 | 0.24 | +106 bearers (+17.4%) | Up 2,838 places |
| 2020 | #34,306 | 712 | 0.24 | -2 bearers (-0.3%) | Down 2,038 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 Stopka 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 | #32,268 | #34,306 | -6.3% |
| Count | 714 | 712 | -0.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.24 | 0.24 | -0.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stopka bearers went from 714 to 712 (-0.3% change). The surname moved down 2,038 positions in the national ranking, going from #32,268 to #34,306.
FAQ
Stopka surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stopka?
Name Census estimates that about 816 living Americans carry the surname Stopka. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 420,042 residents.
How common is Stopka?
Stopka ranks #34,306 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.24 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 712 people with the surname Stopka. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (816), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.24 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 Stopka.
Has Stopka become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stopka went from 714 recorded bearers to 712. That is a decrease of 2 (-0.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #32,268 to #34,306.
What does the Census say about the background of Stopka?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stopka, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Stopka in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (659 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stopka appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (5.1%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Stopka (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 Stopka mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "stopa," meaning foot or leg. 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 Stopka (0.24 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 Stopka?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.