Karpov is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Aleksandr Karpov, Soviet ace, double Hero of the Soviet Union
Anatoly Karpov (born 1951), Russian chess grandmaster, Undisputed World Chess Champion 1975–85, and FIDE World Chess Champion 1993–99
Dmitriy Karpov (born 1981), athlete from Kazakhstan
Elena Karpova (born 1980), basketball player
Lev Iakovlevich Karpov (1879–1921), Russian Chemist and Bolshevik revolutionary
Sergey Karpov (born 1948), Russian historian
Valeri Karpov (born 1971), retired ice hockey player
Vladimir Karpov (born 1922), soldier and writer
