Bakula
A surname derived from the Ukrainian word "bakul" meaning "barrel maker" or "cooper".
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 514 Americans carry the last name Bakula. That puts it at #46,725 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 666,837 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bakula surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
514
1 in 666,837
Census rank
#46,725
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
455
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 455 bearers of the surname Bakula in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 46725th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bakula, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bakula
The surname Bakula is of Polish origin and can be traced back to the late 18th century. It is derived from the Polish word "bakula," which means "shepherd's crook" or "staff." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who worked as a shepherd or used a staff as part of their profession.
The earliest recorded instance of the Bakula surname can be found in the parish records of the village of Brzeźnica, located in the Masovian Voivodeship of central Poland. In these records, a man named Jan Bakula was listed as a resident in the year 1792.
Another early mention of the Bakula name appears in the cadastral records of the town of Opoczno, situated in the Łódź Voivodeship of central Poland. These records, dating back to 1810, include several families with the surname Bakula, indicating that the name was already well-established in the region at that time.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Bakula surname was Józef Bakula, a Polish soldier who fought in the November Uprising against Russian imperial rule in 1830-1831. He was born in the village of Wola Życińska in 1803 and died in 1863.
Another notable figure was Stanisław Bakula (1870-1942), a Polish architect who designed several important buildings in the city of Kraków, including the Church of St. Andrew Bobola and the Church of St. Joseph.
In the 20th century, one of the most famous individuals with the Bakula surname was the American actor Scott Bakula, best known for his roles in the television series "Quantum Leap" and "Star Trek: Enterprise." He was born in 1954 in St. Louis, Missouri, but his family's roots can be traced back to Poland.
Other notable individuals with the Bakula surname include Mieczysław Bakula (1905-1977), a Polish painter and graphic artist known for his landscapes and portraits, and Tadeusz Bakula (1908-1987), a Polish composer and conductor who wrote several orchestral works and film scores.
While the Bakula surname is most commonly associated with Poland, it has also been found in other parts of Eastern Europe, such as Ukraine and Belarus, likely due to migration patterns and historical borders.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bakula
Among Census respondents with the surname Bakula, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Bakula bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Bakula surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.3%
- Hispanic or Latino2.4%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Bakula surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #46,725 | #46,725 | 0.0% |
| Count | 455 | 455 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Bakula bearers went from 455 to 455 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #46,725 to #46,725.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bakula
FAQ
Bakula surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Bakula?
The surname Bakula holds position #46,725 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 514 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Bakula surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bakula, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.