2010
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Topchyan
An Armenian surname that may refer to a military or artillery background.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Topchyan. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Topchyan 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Topchyan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Topchyan, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Topchyan
The surname Topchyan has its origins in Armenia, dating back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Armenian word "top," which means "cannon" or "artillery," and the suffix "-chyan," indicating an occupational surname. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have been involved in the manufacturing or operation of cannons or artillery during times of war or conflict.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Topchyan can be found in the Armenian manuscript "Ganjaran" from the 15th century, where a certain Hovhannes Topchyan is mentioned as a skilled artilleryman in the service of a local noble. This suggests that the name was already well-established by that time.
The Topchyan family was prominent in the region of Syunik, located in the modern-day Syunik Province of Armenia. The name is also associated with the town of Goris, where several notable Topchyans lived and worked in the 18th and 19th centuries. One such figure was Mkhitar Topchyan (1776-1844), a renowned calligrapher and manuscript illuminator whose works can be found in various monastic libraries in Armenia.
Another notable Topchyan was Hovhannes Topchyan (1807-1884), a prominent merchant and philanthropist from Goris. He was responsible for funding the construction of several schools and churches in the region, and his legacy is still celebrated today.
In the 20th century, the Topchyan name gained further recognition with the birth of Khoren Topchyan (1915-1992), a celebrated Armenian composer and conductor. His works, including symphonies, operas, and film scores, are considered masterpieces of Armenian classical music.
One of the most famous bearers of the Topchyan surname in recent times was Mariam Topchyan (1931-2019), a renowned Armenian actress who starred in numerous films and stage productions throughout her long and illustrious career. She was awarded the prestigious title of People's Artist of the Armenian SSR in 1982, in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the arts.
While these are just a few examples, the Topchyan name has left an indelible mark on Armenian history and culture, spanning various fields such as the arts, literature, commerce, and military endeavors.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Topchyan
Among Census respondents with the surname Topchyan, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Topchyan 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 Topchyan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 114
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Topchyan
Topchyan 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
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-5 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,446 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 7,446 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 Topchyan 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 | #133,863 | #141,309 | -5.6% |
| Count | 126 | 121 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Topchyan bearers went from 126 to 121 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 7,446 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #141,309.
FAQ
Topchyan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Topchyan?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Topchyan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Topchyan?
Topchyan ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 121 people with the surname Topchyan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Topchyan.
Has Topchyan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Topchyan went from 126 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Topchyan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Topchyan, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Hispanic (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 Topchyan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Topchyan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Two or More Races (2.5%), Hispanic (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 Topchyan (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 Topchyan mean?
An Armenian surname that may refer to a military or artillery background. 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 Topchyan (0.04 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 share the surname Topchyan?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.