Find out how popular the last name Cerny is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cerny.

Cerny, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cerny surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cerny in America

Cerny is the 9994th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cerny surname appeared 3,227 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Cerny.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cerny to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Cerny

The surname Cerny has its origins in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, where it is a relatively common name. The name is derived from the Czech adjective "cerny," meaning "black" or "dark." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive surname, referring to someone with dark hair or a swarthy complexion.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Cerny can be traced back to the 13th century in Bohemia, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire. The name appears in various medieval records and documents from this region, sometimes spelled as "Czierny" or "Czyrny."

One notable historical figure with the surname Cerny was Jan Cerny (1379-1456), a Czech priest and reformer who was a follower of Jan Hus, a prominent religious thinker and philosopher during the Hussite Reformation in Bohemia. Jan Cerny played a significant role in the Hussite movement and was involved in the defense of Prague during the Hussite Wars.

Another individual of note was Václav Cerny (1849-1928), a Czech architect who designed several important buildings in Prague, including the National Museum and the Municipal House. His contributions significantly shaped the architectural landscape of the city in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In the 20th century, Jaroslav Cerny (1898-1970) was a renowned Czech poet and translator. He was a prominent figure in the Czech literary scene and played a crucial role in introducing the works of foreign authors, such as T.S. Eliot and Ezra Pound, to Czech readers.

The name Cerny can also be found in other Slavic countries, such as Poland and Slovakia, where it may have slightly different spellings or variations. For instance, in Slovakia, the name is sometimes spelled as "Černý."

While the name Cerny is most commonly associated with the Czech Republic and Slovakia, it has also been adopted by individuals of various nationalities, particularly those with Slavic roots or connections to the region. However, the name's historical significance and origins can be traced back to the Czech lands and the rich cultural heritage of the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cerny

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cerny.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cerny was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Cerny has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Cerny was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cerny, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!