2000
#7,625
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,020
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.49
Rare Last name
Cerna
A Romanian occupational surname derived from the Slavic word "črna," meaning "black," likely referring to a dark-haired person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,556 Americans carry the last name Cerna. That puts it at #5,825 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 52,281 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cerna 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
6.6K
1 in 52,281
Census rank
#5,825
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,717 bearers of the surname Cerna in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5825th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cerna, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cerna
The surname Cerna is believed to have originated in the Czech Republic, with its roots dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old Czech word "črna," which means "black" or "dark." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone with dark hair or a swarthy complexion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Cerna surname can be found in a medieval document from the town of Olomouc, dating back to 1287. This document mentions a man named Petrus Czerny, which is an older spelling variation of the name.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Cerna surname was primarily concentrated in the regions of Bohemia and Moravia, which were part of the Kingdom of Bohemia at that time. The name appeared in various medieval records and manuscripts, including land deeds and church registers.
In the 15th century, a notable individual bearing the Cerna surname was Jan Cerna (1380-1456), a Hussite theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Bohemian Reformation. He was a prominent figure in the Hussite movement and authored several treatises on religious reforms.
Another historical figure with the Cerna surname was Vaclav Cerna (1497-1567), a Czech mathematician and astronomer who worked at the court of King Ferdinand I of Bohemia. Cerna made contributions to the field of mathematics and was involved in astronomical observations and calculations.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Cerna surname spread beyond the Czech lands as people migrated to other parts of Europe. In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the name was Jan Václav Cerna (1702-1778), a Baroque composer and organist from Bohemia who composed several sacred works and organ pieces.
As the Cerna surname continued to disperse across Europe and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Černý, Černá, and Czerna, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of different regions.
Throughout history, several other individuals with the Cerna surname have made notable contributions in various fields, including art, literature, and science. However, the examples provided above highlight some of the earliest and most prominent bearers of this surname from its place of origin in the Czech lands.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cerna
Among Census respondents with the surname Cerna, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Cerna 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 Cerna surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.9% · 5,255
- White5.3% · 301
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 109
- Two or more races0.4% · 22
- Black or African American0.3% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cerna
Cerna 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
#6,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,726
+1,706 bearers (+42.4%)
Per 100,000 1.94
Rank movement Up 1,620 places
2020
#5,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,717
-9 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 1.91
Rank movement Up 180 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,625 | 4,020 | 1.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,005 | 5,726 | 1.94 | +1,706 bearers (+42.4%) | Up 1,620 places |
| 2020 | #5,825 | 5,717 | 1.91 | -9 bearers (-0.2%) | Up 180 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 Cerna 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 | #6,005 | #5,825 | 3.0% |
| Count | 5,726 | 5,717 | -0.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.94 | 1.91 | -1.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cerna bearers went from 5,726 to 5,717 (-0.2% change). The surname moved up 180 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,005 to #5,825.
FAQ
Cerna surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cerna?
Name Census estimates that about 6,556 living Americans carry the surname Cerna. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 52,281 residents.
How common is Cerna?
Cerna ranks #5,825 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.91 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,717 people with the surname Cerna. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,556), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.91 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Cerna.
Has Cerna become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cerna went from 5,726 recorded bearers to 5,717. That is a decrease of 9 (-0.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,005 to #5,825.
What does the Census say about the background of Cerna?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cerna, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cerna in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (5,255 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cerna appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.9%), White (5.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Cerna (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 Cerna mean?
A Romanian occupational surname derived from the Slavic word "črna," meaning "black," likely referring to a dark-haired person. 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 Cerna (1.91 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 Cerna?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Cerna? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.