Poppe
A surname of northern German and Frisian origin, likely from a short form of an old personal name such as Poppo/Poppe.
The #9,730 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 92,633 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Poppe is generally understood as coming from a medieval personal name, especially the Old Frisian name Poppe or the related forms Poppo and Pop. In some traditions it is treated as a short form built on an old Germanic given name rather than a word with a clear modern meaning. The family name was then passed down from that personal name, with related forms such as Poppen and Poppinga appearing in Frisian and northern German records.
History
The name is strongly associated with Friesland and neighboring Low German areas, where short personal names often became hereditary surnames. Historical surname collections also record related forms like Poppen and Poppinga, which support a Frisian patronymic pattern. The entry is sometimes linked in older books to an early Frisian duke named Poppe, though that is more a historical illustration than a secure explanation for every modern bearer.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname books note a Frisian Duke Poppe said to have been killed in 734, which shows how far back this name was remembered in regional tradition.
From the historical record
“Poppa's Home [O.E. hdm, home, estate : Poppe was an Old Frisian pers. name] POPINJAYx (A.-Fr., etc.l a nickname from the POPJAY I Parrot [M.E. popinjay, papejay, POPJEE [etc., O.Fr. papegai. Span, papa- POPJOY ; gayo, a parrot]”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)