2000
#8,815
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,422
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.27
Rare Last name
Danko
A Ukrainian surname derived from the given name Danko, a diminutive form of Daniel, meaning "God is my judge."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,454 Americans carry the last name Danko. That puts it at #10,186 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 99,234 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Danko 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Danko with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 99,234
Census rank
#10,186
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,012 bearers of the surname Danko in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10186th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Danko, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Danko
The surname Danko has its origins in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, particularly in modern-day Poland and Ukraine. It is believed to have emerged around the 13th or 14th century, derived from the Slavic root "dan," meaning "gift" or "given." This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname or a descriptive term for someone who was considered a "gift" or a "blessing."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Danko can be found in historical records from the Polish city of Krakow, dating back to the late 15th century. These records mention a man named Jan Danko, who was a respected member of the local community. The name also appears in various village and parish records from the 16th and 17th centuries in the regions of Galicia and Volhynia, which were parts of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at the time.
In the late 18th century, a notable figure named Andrzej Danko (1735-1819) emerged as a prominent Polish-Lithuanian military officer and nobleman. He served in the Polish army during the Partitions of Poland and later became a member of the Sejm (parliament) of the Duchy of Warsaw.
Another individual of historical significance bearing the surname Danko was Yevhen Danko (1884-1919), a Ukrainian writer and playwright who was active during the early 20th century. His works, such as the play "Soniachna Mashyna" (The Sun Machine), explored themes of social justice and national identity.
In the realm of sports, the name Danko has been associated with several accomplished athletes. One example is Oleksandr Danko (born 1986), a Ukrainian professional football (soccer) player who has represented his country at the international level and played for various clubs in Europe.
It is worth noting that variations of the surname, such as Dankov, Dankevich, and Dankovych, have also been found in historical records, particularly in the regions of Belarus and western Russia. These variations likely stemmed from different linguistic influences and regional dialects within the Slavic language family.
While the surname Danko has its roots in Eastern Europe, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, it remains most prevalent in countries like Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia, where it continues to carry a rich cultural and historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Danko
Among Census respondents with the surname Danko, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Danko 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 Danko surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 2,799
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 102
- Two or more races2.4% · 73
- Black or African American0.9% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Danko
Danko 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
#7,815
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,237
+815 bearers (+23.8%)
Per 100,000 1.44
Rank movement Up 1,000 places
2020
#10,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,012
-1,225 bearers (-28.9%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 2,371 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,815 | 3,422 | 1.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,815 | 4,237 | 1.44 | +815 bearers (+23.8%) | Up 1,000 places |
| 2020 | #10,186 | 3,012 | 1.01 | -1,225 bearers (-28.9%) | Down 2,371 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 Danko 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 | #7,815 | #10,186 | -30.3% |
| Count | 4,237 | 3,012 | -28.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.44 | 1.01 | -30.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Danko bearers went from 4,237 to 3,012 (-28.9% change). The surname moved down 2,371 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,815 to #10,186.
FAQ
Danko surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Danko?
Name Census estimates that about 3,454 living Americans carry the surname Danko. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 99,234 residents.
How common is Danko?
Danko ranks #10,186 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,012 people with the surname Danko. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,454), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.01 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Danko.
Has Danko become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Danko went from 4,237 recorded bearers to 3,012. That is a decrease of 1,225 (-28.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,815 to #10,186.
What does the Census say about the background of Danko?
Among Census respondents with the surname Danko, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Danko in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (2,799 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Danko appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Danko (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 Danko mean?
A Ukrainian surname derived from the given name Danko, a diminutive form of Daniel, meaning "God is my judge." 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 Danko (1.01 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 Danko?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Danko, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.