2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cymbala
A surname likely derived from the Polish word for cymbal, referring to an occupation connected to cymbal making or playing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Cymbala. 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 Cymbala 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 Cymbala 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 Cymbala, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.2%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cymbala
The surname Cymbala has its origins in Eastern Europe, particularly in the regions of modern-day Ukraine and western Russia. It is believed to have emerged sometime around the 16th or 17th century. The name is derived from the Ukrainian and Russian word "tsymbaly," which refers to a type of dulcimer or hammered string instrument.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cymbala can be found in church records from the Ukrainian city of Lviv, dating back to the late 1600s. These records mention a family by the name of Tsymbala, which was likely the original spelling before it evolved into the more modern form of Cymbala.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the name Cymbala became more widespread across the Russian Empire, particularly in areas with significant Ukrainian populations. The name was often associated with families involved in the production or playing of traditional musical instruments, including the tsymbaly.
One notable individual with the surname Cymbala was Yuriy Cymbala (1876-1941), a Ukrainian composer and conductor who helped popularize Ukrainian folk music and orchestral works. Another prominent figure was Vasyl Cymbala (1901-1988), a Ukrainian author and poet who wrote extensively about life in rural Ukraine.
In the early 20th century, the name Cymbala also gained some recognition in the United States, as Ukrainian immigrants brought the surname with them to various communities across the country. One such individual was Wasyl Cymbala (1895-1978), a Ukrainian-American musician and bandleader who helped introduce traditional Ukrainian music to American audiences.
Another notable bearer of the name was Bohdan Cymbala (1909-1981), a Ukrainian-Canadian artist and sculptor who was celebrated for his depictions of Ukrainian folk life and customs. His works can be found in various galleries and museums across Canada.
While the surname Cymbala has its roots in Eastern Europe, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by individuals and families of Ukrainian and Russian descent. However, its connection to the traditional musical instrument and cultural heritage of these regions remains a significant part of the name's history and significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cymbala
Among Census respondents with the surname Cymbala, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.2%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Cymbala 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 Cymbala surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino8.2% · 9
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cymbala
Cymbala 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,633 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,006 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 7,633 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 1,006 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 Cymbala 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 | #150,452 | #149,446 | 0.7% |
| Count | 109 | 110 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cymbala bearers went from 109 to 110 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 1,006 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #149,446.
FAQ
Cymbala surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cymbala?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Cymbala. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Cymbala?
Cymbala 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 Cymbala. 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 Cymbala.
Has Cymbala become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cymbala went from 109 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Cymbala?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cymbala, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.2%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Cymbala in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cymbala appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Hispanic (8.2%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Cymbala (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 Cymbala mean?
A surname likely derived from the Polish word for cymbal, referring to an occupation connected to cymbal making or playing. 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 Cymbala (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 people are called Cymbala?
See how many people are called Cymbala on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.