Recorded in various forms including Poplan, Poland, Poplande, Poplen, and Poplin, this is apparently an English surname. We believe that all spellings are in some way associated, either through an occupational name given to a merchant, one who specialised in the supply of the fabric poplin, or perhaps more likely as a locational name from a place called by one of the spellings. This is probably Popland which would seem to translate as 'stony land' from the pre 7th century Olde English word 'popel', meaning pebbles. The village of Poppleton near the city of York means 'Pebble village', which is quite an accurate description. However no such place as 'Popel - land' or anything near to it has been found in any of the known gazetters of the British Isles going back three centuries. This strongly suggests that the name originates from a now 'lost' medieval village of which the surname in its varied spellings, is the only public reminder of its former existence in the 20th century. The name is quite well recorded in the surviving church registers of the city of London. Examples of these recordings include Sarah Poplande who was christened at the church of St Botolophs without Bishopgate, on October 25th 1573, Thomas Popland, who married Anne Hopton at St Giules Cripplegate on February 7th 1716, and Caroline Poplan, who married Joseph Middlish at St Dunstans in the East, Stepney, on July 27th 1845.

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