2000
#47,575
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 419
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Very Rare Last name
Banka
A surname derived from the Polish word "banka," meaning a small bank or financial institution.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 627 Americans carry the last name Banka. That puts it at #42,669 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 546,658 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Banka surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, 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
627
1 in 546,658
Census rank
#42,669
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
547
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 547 bearers of the surname Banka in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 42669th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Banka, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (29.6%) and Black (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Banka
The surname Banka is believed to have originated in India, with roots tracing back to the late medieval period. The name is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "bankaa," which means "bent" or "crooked." This could potentially indicate that the name was initially given as a descriptive term for someone with a distinctive physical feature or occupation related to bending or shaping materials.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Banka can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This text mentions a village called "Bankagrama," which translates to "Village of the Bankas," suggesting the presence of a community with this surname in that region during the Mughal era.
In the 17th century, the Banka surname appears in several historical records from the state of Gujarat, particularly in documents related to trade and commerce. This could indicate that individuals with this name were involved in mercantile activities or held prominent positions in business or trade guilds during that time.
Moving forward, the name Banka gained prominence in the 19th century with the rise of the Bengali Renaissance. One notable figure was Govindachandra Banka, a Bengali writer and social reformer born in 1823. He was a pioneering advocate for women's education and played a significant role in the establishment of the Hindu Mahila Vidyalaya, one of the earliest schools for girls in Bengal.
Another prominent individual with the surname Banka was Radhakrishna Banka, a renowned Indian painter and sculptor born in 1875. His works, which often depicted scenes from Hindu mythology and rural life, were widely acclaimed and are housed in several prestigious museums and galleries across India.
In the 20th century, the Banka surname gained further recognition with individuals like Dwijendralal Banka, a Bengali poet and novelist born in 1910. His literary works, which explored themes of social justice and human struggles, earned him critical acclaim and several prestigious awards, including the Ananda Purashkar.
It's worth noting that variations of the name, such as Bankar and Bankay, can also be found in historical records, possibly indicating regional variations or alternative spellings over time.
While the surname Banka may not be as widely recognized as some other Indian surnames, its roots can be traced back to ancient times, and individuals bearing this name have made significant contributions across various fields, including literature, art, and social reform.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Banka
Among Census respondents with the surname Banka, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (29.6%) and Black (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Banka bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 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.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
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 Banka surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.4% · 347
- Asian and Pacific Islander29.6% · 162
- Black or African American4.8% · 26
- Two or more races1.3% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Banka
Banka appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#53,667
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 385
-34 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 6,092 places
2020
#42,669
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 547
+162 bearers (+42.1%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Up 10,998 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #47,575 | 419 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #53,667 | 385 | 0.13 | -34 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 6,092 places |
| 2020 | #42,669 | 547 | 0.18 | +162 bearers (+42.1%) | Up 10,998 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Banka surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #53,667 | #42,669 | 20.5% |
| Count | 385 | 547 | 42.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.18 | 40.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Banka bearers went from 385 to 547 (+42.1% change). The surname moved up 10,998 positions in the national ranking, going from #53,667 to #42,669.
FAQ
Banka surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Banka?
Name Census estimates that about 627 living Americans carry the surname Banka. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 546,658 residents.
How common is Banka?
Banka ranks #42,669 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.18 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 547 people with the surname Banka. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (627), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.18 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Banka.
Has Banka become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Banka went from 385 recorded bearers to 547. That is an increase of 162 (+42.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #53,667 to #42,669.
What does the Census say about the background of Banka?
Among Census respondents with the surname Banka, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (29.6%) and Black (4.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Banka in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.4% (347 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Banka appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (29.6%), Black (4.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Banka (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Banka mean?
A surname derived from the Polish word "banka," meaning a small bank or financial institution. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Banka (0.18 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Banka?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Banka at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.