2000
#30,753
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 715
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.27
Very Rare Last name
Koppelman
A surname originating from Germany referring to a small landowner or farmer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 749 Americans carry the last name Koppelman. That puts it at #36,810 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 457,616 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Koppelman 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
749
1 in 457,616
Census rank
#36,810
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
653
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 653 bearers of the surname Koppelman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 36810th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Koppelman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Koppelman
The surname Koppelman is of German origin, originating in the late medieval period around the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "Koppel," meaning a coupling or a small enclosed field. The name likely referred to someone who lived in or worked on a small farm or enclosure.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Koppelman can be found in the historical records of the Rhineland region of Germany, specifically in the city of Cologne. In a manuscript dated 1312, a certain "Henricus Koppelman" is mentioned as a landowner in the outskirts of the city.
As the name spread across Germany, variations in spelling emerged, such as Koppelmann, Koppelman, and Koppelmann. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the way the name was pronounced in different areas.
In the 16th century, the name Koppelman appeared in the town records of Wesel, a city in the Lower Rhine region of Germany. A certain "Johann Koppelman" was listed as a merchant and member of the town council in 1542.
One notable historical figure with the surname Koppelman was Johann Gottfried Koppelman (1663-1727), a German theologian and author who served as a professor at the University of Jena. His work "De Jure Gentium" (On the Law of Nations) was widely influential in the field of international law.
Another individual of note was Friedrich Wilhelm Koppelman (1799-1872), a German engineer and inventor who pioneered the use of steel in the construction of bridges and railway infrastructure. His innovative designs played a crucial role in the development of modern transportation systems.
In the 19th century, the Koppelman name was also found in the Netherlands, likely due to migration from Germany. One prominent figure was Isaäc Koppelman (1818-1887), a Dutch banker and philanthropist who funded the construction of several schools and hospitals in Amsterdam.
Across the Atlantic, the name Koppelman appeared in the United States in the late 19th century, as German immigrants settled in various parts of the country. One early record is that of Wilhelm Koppelman (1845-1921), a German-born farmer who settled in Wisconsin in 1868.
Another notable American with the surname Koppelman was Arnold Koppelman (1902-1985), a successful businessman and real estate developer who played a significant role in the development of Miami Beach, Florida.
Throughout its history, the surname Koppelman has been associated with various professions, from landowners and merchants to scholars, engineers, and entrepreneurs, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who have carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Koppelman
Among Census respondents with the surname Koppelman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Koppelman 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 Koppelman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 597
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 30
- Two or more races2.0% · 13
- Black or African American0.8% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Koppelman
Koppelman 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
#33,856
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 672
-43 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Down 3,103 places
2020
#36,810
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 653
-19 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Down 2,954 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #30,753 | 715 | 0.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #33,856 | 672 | 0.23 | -43 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 3,103 places |
| 2020 | #36,810 | 653 | 0.22 | -19 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 2,954 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 Koppelman 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 | #33,856 | #36,810 | -8.7% |
| Count | 672 | 653 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.23 | 0.22 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Koppelman bearers went from 672 to 653 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 2,954 positions in the national ranking, going from #33,856 to #36,810.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Koppelman
FAQ
Koppelman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Koppelman?
Name Census estimates that about 749 living Americans carry the surname Koppelman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 457,616 residents.
How common is Koppelman?
Koppelman ranks #36,810 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.22 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 653 people with the surname Koppelman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (749), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.22 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 Koppelman.
Has Koppelman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Koppelman went from 672 recorded bearers to 653. That is a decrease of 19 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #33,856 to #36,810.
What does the Census say about the background of Koppelman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Koppelman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Koppelman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (597 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Koppelman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (4.6%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Koppelman (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 Koppelman mean?
A surname originating from Germany referring to a small landowner or farmer. 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 Koppelman (0.22 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 Koppelman?
If you just want to know how many people are called Koppelman, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.