Show ContentsJoplin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Joplin is derived from the name of an ancestor as in 'the son of Job,' from diminutive Joblin or Jobelin. 1

Early Origins of the Joplin family

The surname Joplin was first found in Northumberland where there is an early instance of a Robert Joplyn, on record as renting lands in South Northumberland in 1499.

Early History of the Joplin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Joplin research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1652, 1737, 1738, 1742, 1763, 1788, 1790, 1804, 1809, 1824, 1828, 1831, 1841, 1847, 1859, 1861, 1876, 1883, 1884 and 1923 are included under the topic Early Joplin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Joplin Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Joplin has been spelled many different ways, including Joblin, Jobblin, Jopling, Jobling, Joppling, Jopplin, Joplin and many more.

Early Notables of the Joplin family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Thomas Joplin (1790?-1847), was an English timber merchant, banker and writer on banking, born about 1790 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, possibly the son of John Joplin or Jopling, sculptor there. In 1824 th...
  • Joseph Middelton Jopling (1831-1884), was an English painter, the son of Joseph Jopling, a clerk in the horse guards, Whitehall, and occupied a similar position from the age of seventeen for some year...

Joplin Ranking

In the United States, the name Joplin is the 8,917th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2


United States Joplin migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Joplins to arrive in North America:

Joplin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Joplin, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1843 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Joplin (post 1700) +

  • Scott Joplin (1868-1917), American composer and pianist, famous for his ragtime compositions, but best known for his "Maple Leaf Rag"
  • Janis Lyn Joplin (1943-1970), American blues-influenced rock singer, inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995
  • C. D. Joplin, American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Murphysboro, Illinois, 1925; Candidate for U.S. Representative from Illinois at-large, 1928; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1940 (alternate), 1944 4
  • Barthenia Joplin (1896-1979), American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kentucky, 1948 4
  • Thomas Joplin (1790-1847), English writer on banking, born about 1790 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, possibly the son of John Joplin or Jopling, sculptor there


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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