2000
#24,135
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 975
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.36
Rare Last name
Coplen
An English surname derived from an old word referring to someone who topped or peaked something.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,135 Americans carry the last name Coplen. That puts it at #26,016 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 301,986 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coplen 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
1.1K
1 in 301,986
Census rank
#26,016
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
990
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 990 bearers of the surname Coplen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 26016th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coplen, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.2%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Coplen
The surname Coplen has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "copp" meaning a hill or peak, and "lanu" meaning a lane or path. The name was likely given to someone who lived near a path on a hill or hilltop.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where it appears as "Richard de Coppelon". This spelling variation suggests that the name may have originally been a place name before evolving into a surname.
During the 14th century, the surname was also recorded in various other parts of England, such as Yorkshire and Warwickshire, with spellings like "Coppelon" and "Coplond". These regional variations showcase the diversity of the name's early development.
In the 16th century, the Coplen surname gained prominence with the birth of William Coplen (1512-1572), a prominent English lawyer and member of the Inner Temple. He served as a Justice of the Peace for Kent and was known for his legal expertise.
Another notable figure was John Coplen (1628-1693), a Quaker minister and author from Yorkshire. He wrote several religious works, including "A Treatise on Regeneration" and "A Testimony against Tithes", which reflected his beliefs as a member of the Society of Friends.
In the 18th century, the Coplen name appeared in various parish records and documents across England. One such example is the marriage record of Thomas Coplen and Elizabeth Barker in 1762, in the parish of St. Mary's, Beverley, Yorkshire.
The 19th century saw the Coplen surname spread further afield, with records indicating families bearing the name in various parts of the British Empire, including Australia and New Zealand. One notable figure from this era was Sir John Coplen (1819-1892), a British military officer who served in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery.
Throughout its history, the Coplen surname has been associated with various occupations and backgrounds, from lawyers and ministers to military personnel and tradesmen. While the name may have originated from a specific geographical location, it has since become a part of the diverse tapestry of English surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coplen
Among Census respondents with the surname Coplen, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.2%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Coplen 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 Coplen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.5% · 837
- Black or African American6.2% · 61
- Two or more races3.7% · 37
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.5% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coplen
Coplen 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
#25,535
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 967
-8 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Down 1,400 places
2020
#26,016
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 990
+23 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Down 481 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #24,135 | 975 | 0.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #25,535 | 967 | 0.33 | -8 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 1,400 places |
| 2020 | #26,016 | 990 | 0.33 | +23 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 481 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 Coplen 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 | #25,535 | #26,016 | -1.9% |
| Count | 967 | 990 | 2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.33 | 0.33 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coplen bearers went from 967 to 990 (+2.4% change). The surname moved down 481 positions in the national ranking, going from #25,535 to #26,016.
FAQ
Coplen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coplen?
Name Census estimates that about 1,135 living Americans carry the surname Coplen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 301,986 residents.
How common is Coplen?
Coplen ranks #26,016 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.33 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 990 people with the surname Coplen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.33 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 Coplen.
Has Coplen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coplen went from 967 recorded bearers to 990. That is an increase of 23 (+2.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #25,535 to #26,016.
What does the Census say about the background of Coplen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coplen, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.2%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Coplen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.5% (837 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coplen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.5%), Black (6.2%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Coplen (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 Coplen mean?
An English surname derived from an old word referring to someone who topped or peaked something. 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 Coplen (0.33 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 are called Coplen?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Coplen at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.