Explore the Family Name Popov
The meaning of Popov
1. Russian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian, and Rusyn: patronymic from pop ‘priest’, from Greek pappas ‘father’ (compare English Pope). The name may sometimes derive from a nickname, but celibacy was not enjoined on priests of the Orthodox Church and so the name can indeed mean ‘son of the priest’. In many cases, however, the Russian name means no more than ‘of the priest’ and designates a servant of a priest. Compare Popoff, see also Pop 2, Popovic, and Popovski 1. 2. Jewish (American): most likely a shortened form of Popovski 2. Compare Popoff. Some characteristic forenames: Russian Nikolay, Oleg, Grigoriy, Anatoly, Andrei, Arkadi, Dmitriy, Mikhail, Sergey. Bulgarian or Macedonian Atanas, Dimitar, Yordan. Serbian Bosko, Bozidar, Branko.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Popov in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Popov" has grown significantly over a decade. In 2000, Popov ranked 21,438 in terms of popularity and increased to 16,593 by 2010, marking a 22.6% rise. The count of individuals with this surname also escalated from 1,137 in 2000 to 1,728 in 2010, a hike of nearly 52%. The proportion of people named Popov per 100,000 also rose by 40.48%, moving from 0.42 to 0.59.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #21,438 | #16,593 | 22.6% |
| Count | 1,137 | 1,728 | 51.98% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.42 | 0.59 | 40.48% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Popov
In terms of ethnic identity, the census data indicates changes among individuals carrying the Popov name between 2000 and 2010. A notable increase was observed in those identifying as Hispanic, escalating from 0.44% to 1.27%, representing an almost 189% growth. The number of people identified as White grew slightly, from 94.37% to 97.22%. However, the percentage of Popovs identifying as two or more races dropped dramatically from 4.57% to 0.69%, a decrease of around 85%. There was a minor increase in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, rising from 0.53% to 0.64%. No change was noted in the Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native categories.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.37% | 97.22% | 3.02% |
| Hispanic | 0.44% | 1.27% | 188.64% |
| Two or More Races | 4.57% | 0.69% | -84.9% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.53% | 0.64% | 20.75% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Popov ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Popov is Eastern European, which comprises 59.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Greek & Balkan (21.8%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (5.6%). Additional ancestries include French & German, British & Irish, Finnish, Scandinavian, and Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Eastern European | 59.0% |
| Greek & Balkan | 21.8% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 5.6% |
| Other | 13.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Popov
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Popov have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Russia, and Ukraine.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation | 66.40% |
| Lviv Oblast, Ukraine | 47.50% |
| Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine | 44.30% |
| Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russian Federation | 44.30% |
| Tver Oblast, Russian Federation | 41.00% |
What Popov haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Popov is R-CTS3402, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS3402 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include R-M417 and E-V13, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Ivanov, Toth, Urban, Petrov, Novak, Nagy, Kovacs, Kowalski, Varga, Szabo.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Popov surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Popov have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Popov" Surname 36.4%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Popov" Surname 42.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Popov" Surname 7.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Popov?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Popov are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition