Szopa last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Szopa

A Polish surname derived from the Polish word for "monkey."

Szopa, 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 Szopa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Szopa in America

Szopa is the 105079th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Szopa surname appeared 170 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 Szopa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Szopa 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.

20102000Change (%)
Rank1050798989515.58%
Count170191-11.63%
Proportion per 100k0.060.07-15.38%

The history of the last name Szopa

The surname Szopa is of Polish origin, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Polish word "szop," which means "raccoon" or "badger." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname or occupational name to someone who worked with these animals, such as a hunter or furrier.

The earliest recorded instances of the Szopa surname can be found in historical records from the Krakow region of Poland. In the 16th century, a man named Jan Szopa was documented as a landowner in the village of Jerzmanowice. Another early record mentions a Tomasz Szopa, who was a furrier in the town of Kazimierz Dolny in the late 17th century.

The name Szopa has also been associated with various place names throughout Poland. For example, there is a village called Szopy in the Masovian Voivodeship, and a town called Szopienice in the Silesian Voivodeship. These place names may have influenced the spelling and spread of the surname.

One notable individual with the surname Szopa was Andrzej Szopa (1924-2016), a Polish architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Warsaw, including the Palace of Culture and Science. Another famous bearer of the name was Józef Szopa (1918-1994), a Polish writer and journalist who authored several books and worked for various Polish newspapers and magazines.

Other historical figures with the Szopa surname include:

  1. Stanisław Szopa (1861-1938), a Polish painter and professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow.
  2. Jerzy Szopa (1919-1996), a Polish footballer who played as a defender for several Polish clubs, including Cracovia and Legia Warsaw.
  3. Jadwiga Szopa (1922-2006), a Polish architect and urban planner who worked on numerous residential and commercial projects in Warsaw.
  4. Tadeusz Szopa (1901-1975), a Polish economist and professor at the University of Poznań, known for his work on agricultural economics.
  5. Wacław Szopa (1888-1962), a Polish engineer and inventor, best known for his contributions to the development of early radio technology.

While the Szopa surname may not be as widely recognized as some other Polish surnames, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Szopa

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

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 Szopa was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only98.24%167
Non-Hispanic Black Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only0.00%0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races0.00%0
Hispanic Origin(S)%(S)

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 Szopa has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White98.24%97.38%0.88%
Black(S)%0.00%(S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander0.00%0.00%0.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%(S)%(S)%
Two or More Races0.00%(S)%(S)%
Hispanic(S)%0.00%(S)%

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

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

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