2000
#118,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Xanthopoulos
Originating from Greek, it means "person with yellow or blond hair".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 167 Americans carry the last name Xanthopoulos. That puts it at #123,817 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,052,421 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Xanthopoulos 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
167
1 in 2,052,421
Census rank
#123,817
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
146
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 146 bearers of the surname Xanthopoulos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 123817th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Xanthopoulos, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Xanthopoulos
The surname Xanthopoulos finds its origins in Greece and is rooted deeply in Greek etymology and culture. The name is a compound of two elements: "xantho," deriving from the ancient Greek word "xanthos," meaning "yellow" or "blonde," and "poulos," a common suffix in Greek meaning "son of" or "descendant." Thus, the surname Xanthopoulos can be interpreted to mean "son of the blonde one" or "descendant of the yellow-haired one."
The surname likely originated during the Byzantine period, though its precise emergence is difficult to pinpoint. Historically, it would have been used to denote a familial lineage, distinguishing individuals based on prominent ancestry traits or characteristics. Geographically, the name is associated with various regions within Greece but most commonly appears in the Peloponnese and Macedonia.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Xanthopoulos appears in a 14th-century Byzantine manuscript that references a cleric named Nikolaos Xanthopoulos. This record suggests that the name was well-established by this time, with individuals bearing it likely holding positions of some significance in ecclesiastic or civic circles.
In the 18th century, another notable bearer of the name was Dimitrios Xanthopoulos, a merchant who played a critical role in the local trading networks between Greece and the broader Ottoman Empire. His commercial activities were instrumental in fostering economic growth in regions such as Thessaloniki and Athens.
Moving into the 19th century, the surname continues to appear in historical records. One notable instance is Georgios Xanthopoulos, born in 1821 and an active participant in the Greek War of Independence. His contributions to the struggle against Ottoman rule are documented in various war records and personal correspondences.
The 20th century saw the rise of Alexandros Xanthopoulos, a prominent academic born in 1904 who would go on to contribute significantly to the fields of Greek philosophy and literature. His scholarly works remain influential in academic circles.
Additionally, the name appears in political history with figures like Eleftherios Xanthopoulos, born in 1923, who was a prominent member of the Greek parliament in the mid-20th century. His legislative efforts and political career helped shape modern Greek policies and governance.
The surname Xanthopoulos has carried a legacy through centuries, with a lineage that touches on various aspects of Greek history—religious, economic, academic, and political. Each notable bearer of the name has contributed to its rich historical tapestry, marking the Xanthopoulos lineage as one of enduring significance in Greece.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Xanthopoulos
Among Census respondents with the surname Xanthopoulos, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Xanthopoulos 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 Xanthopoulos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.9% · 140
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 2
- Black or African American0.7% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Xanthopoulos
Xanthopoulos 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
-8 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,970 places
2020
#123,817
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 146
+18 bearers (+14.1%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 8,389 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,236 | 136 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 13,970 places |
| 2020 | #123,817 | 146 | 0.05 | +18 bearers (+14.1%) | Up 8,389 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 Xanthopoulos 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 | #132,206 | #123,817 | 6.3% |
| Count | 128 | 146 | 14.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.05 | 22.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Xanthopoulos bearers went from 128 to 146 (+14.1% change). The surname moved up 8,389 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #123,817.
FAQ
Xanthopoulos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Xanthopoulos?
Name Census estimates that about 167 living Americans carry the surname Xanthopoulos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,052,421 residents.
How common is Xanthopoulos?
Xanthopoulos ranks #123,817 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 146 people with the surname Xanthopoulos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (167), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Xanthopoulos.
Has Xanthopoulos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Xanthopoulos went from 128 recorded bearers to 146. That is an increase of 18 (+14.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #132,206 to #123,817.
What does the Census say about the background of Xanthopoulos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Xanthopoulos, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%). 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 Xanthopoulos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.9% (140 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Xanthopoulos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.9%), Hispanic (1.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%). 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 Xanthopoulos (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 Xanthopoulos mean?
Originating from Greek, it means "person with yellow or blond hair". 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 Xanthopoulos (0.05 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 Americans have the surname Xanthopoulos?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.