2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Budaj
A surname of Polish or Slovak origin, possibly related to a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Budaj. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Budaj 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Budaj in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Budaj, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Budaj
The surname Budaj has its origins in Slovakia, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Slovak word "buda," which means "hut" or "small house," suggesting that the name may have been initially associated with someone who lived in or constructed such dwellings.
One of the earliest references to the Budaj surname can be found in the Bytča Municipal Book from 1584, which mentions a person named Pawel Budaj. This record indicates that the name was already well-established in the region at that time.
During the 17th century, the name Budaj appeared in various historical documents and records, particularly in the areas around the towns of Bytča and Žilina in northwestern Slovakia. For instance, a man named Ján Budaj was recorded as a landowner in the village of Radoľa in 1632.
The Budaj surname has also been linked to several notable individuals throughout history. One of the most prominent figures was Ján Budaj (1603-1677), a Slovak Lutheran pastor, writer, and translator who played a significant role in the development of the Slovak language and literature.
Another individual worth mentioning is Michal Budaj (1757-1839), a Slovak Catholic priest and writer who authored several religious works and contributed to the preservation of Slovak cultural heritage.
In the 19th century, a notable bearer of the Budaj surname was Štefan Budaj (1825-1896), a Slovak poet, teacher, and cultural activist who advocated for the recognition and promotion of the Slovak language and culture.
Moving into the 20th century, Miroslav Budaj (1922-2003) was a prominent Slovak architect who designed numerous iconic buildings, including the Slovak Radio Building in Bratislava.
Additionally, the name Budaj has been associated with various place names throughout Slovakia, such as the village of Budiš (formerly known as Budajovce) and the town of Budatín, both of which likely derived their names from individuals with the Budaj surname.
Overall, the surname Budaj has a rich history deeply rooted in Slovakia, with its origins dating back to the 16th century and connections to various notable individuals, literary works, and geographical locations throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Budaj
Among Census respondents with the surname Budaj, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Budaj 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 Budaj surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.5% · 105
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Budaj
Budaj appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+4 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,323 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.8%) | Up 4,323 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 Budaj 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 | #153,769 | #149,446 | 2.8% |
| Count | 106 | 110 | 3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Budaj bearers went from 106 to 110 (+3.8% change). The surname moved up 4,323 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #149,446.
FAQ
Budaj surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Budaj?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Budaj. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Budaj?
Budaj ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 110 people with the surname Budaj. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Budaj.
Has Budaj become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Budaj went from 106 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 4 (+3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Budaj?
Among Census respondents with the surname Budaj, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Budaj in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Budaj appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Budaj (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 Budaj mean?
A surname of Polish or Slovak origin, possibly related to a place name. 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 Budaj (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Budaj?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.