2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Damaska
A surname possibly derived from the Croatian city of Damaša or related to the word "damask" referring to the silk fabric.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Damaska. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Damaska 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Damaska in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Damaska, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Damaska
The surname DAMASKA has its origins in Poland, with the earliest known references dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Polish word "damaska", meaning "damask", a type of patterned silk fabric that was highly prized and sought after during the Renaissance era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DAMASKA surname can be found in the records of the city of Krakow, where a merchant named Jakub DAMASKA was listed as a resident in 1547. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals involved in the textile trade or the production of damask fabrics.
In the 17th century, the DAMASKA name appeared in several historical documents from the regions of Lesser Poland and Silesia. Notable figures from this time period include Jan DAMASKA, a distinguished scholar and professor at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, who lived between 1620 and 1687.
As the centuries progressed, the DAMASKA surname spread to other parts of Poland and beyond. In the 18th century, a renowned painter named Wojciech DAMASKA (1730-1804) gained recognition for his portraits and religious works, which adorned churches and noble residences throughout the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
The 19th century saw the emergence of several notable individuals with the DAMASKA surname. Among them was Franciszek DAMASKA (1819-1895), a prominent Polish lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Prussian parliament, representing the interests of Polish citizens in the region of Silesia.
Another figure of note was Maria DAMASKA (1842-1912), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights in Poland. She founded several schools for girls and worked tirelessly to promote equal educational opportunities for women during a time when such efforts were met with significant resistance.
As the 20th century dawned, the DAMASKA name continued to be associated with individuals from various walks of life. One such person was Tadeusz DAMASKA (1904-1982), a celebrated Polish actor and director who left an indelible mark on the country's theater scene through his innovative productions and performances.
These examples illustrate the rich history and diversity associated with the DAMASKA surname, which has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions throughout the centuries, spanning merchants, scholars, artists, politicians, educators, and performers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Damaska
Among Census respondents with the surname Damaska, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Damaska 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 Damaska surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino6.3% · 7
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Damaska
Damaska 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-5 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,310 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 318 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 14,310 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 318 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 Damaska 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 | #148,347 | #148,665 | -0.2% |
| Count | 111 | 111 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Damaska bearers went from 111 to 111 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 318 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #148,665.
FAQ
Damaska surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Damaska?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Damaska. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Damaska?
Damaska ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Damaska. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Damaska.
Has Damaska become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Damaska went from 111 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Damaska?
Among Census respondents with the surname Damaska, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%) 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 Damaska in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Damaska appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (6.3%), 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 Damaska (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 Damaska mean?
A surname possibly derived from the Croatian city of Damaša or related to the word "damask" referring to the silk fabric. 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 Damaska (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 share the surname Damaska?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.