2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Davidenko
A surname with Ukrainian or Russian origins, meaning "son of David".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 216 Americans carry the last name Davidenko. That puts it at #102,164 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,586,826 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Davidenko 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
216
1 in 1,586,826
Census rank
#102,164
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
188
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 188 bearers of the surname Davidenko in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 102164th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Davidenko, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.1%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Davidenko
The surname Davidenko has its origins in Eastern Europe, specifically in Ukraine and parts of Russia. It is a patronymic form of the name David, which itself derives from the Hebrew name "Dawid" meaning "beloved" or "uncle." The suffix "-enko" indicates a diminutive form, often used as a way to create surnames in these regions.
The earliest recorded instances of the Davidenko surname can be traced back to the 16th and 17th centuries. It appears in various historical records and documents from that time period, such as parish registers, census records, and land ownership documents. Some of the earliest mentions of the name can be found in the archives of the city of Kiev, which was a major center of the Ukrainian region.
One notable historical figure bearing the Davidenko surname was Ivan Davidenko, a Ukrainian Cossack leader who lived in the late 17th century. He was known for leading a rebellion against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the region of Zaporizhia. Another early bearer of the name was Andrei Davidenko, a merchant and landowner from the city of Chernihiv, who lived in the 16th century and was recorded in local tax records.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Davidenko surname continued to be found throughout Ukraine and parts of Russia. Some variations in spelling, such as Davidenko and Davidenka, can be seen in historical documents from this period. Several villages and towns in Ukraine also had names derived from the surname, such as Davidenkovo and Davidenkovka, indicating the presence of families with this name in those areas.
Among the more notable individuals with the Davidenko surname in later history was Mikhail Davidenko, a Russian military officer who served in the Imperial Russian Army during the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815). Another was Andrei Davidenko, a Ukrainian writer and poet who lived from 1867 to 1932 and was known for his works exploring the lives of the Ukrainian peasantry.
In the 20th century, Nikolai Davidenko (1906-1977) was a prominent Soviet military leader who served as a tank commander during World War II and was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Additionally, Yevgeny Davidenko (1920-1994) was a renowned Russian writer and playwright, known for his works depicting life in the Soviet Union.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the Davidenko surname, which has its roots firmly planted in the cultural and historical landscapes of Eastern Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Davidenko
Among Census respondents with the surname Davidenko, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.1%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Davidenko 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 Davidenko surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 177
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 4
- Two or more races2.1% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 2
- Black or African American0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Davidenko
Davidenko 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
#104,602
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 171
+52 bearers (+43.7%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 26,764 places
2020
#102,164
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 188
+17 bearers (+9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 2,438 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #104,602 | 171 | 0.06 | +52 bearers (+43.7%) | Up 26,764 places |
| 2020 | #102,164 | 188 | 0.06 | +17 bearers (+9.9%) | Up 2,438 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 Davidenko 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 | #104,602 | #102,164 | 2.3% |
| Count | 171 | 188 | 9.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | 4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Davidenko bearers went from 171 to 188 (+9.9% change). The surname moved up 2,438 positions in the national ranking, going from #104,602 to #102,164.
FAQ
Davidenko surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Davidenko?
Name Census estimates that about 216 living Americans carry the surname Davidenko. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,586,826 residents.
How common is Davidenko?
Davidenko ranks #102,164 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 188 people with the surname Davidenko. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (216), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Davidenko.
Has Davidenko become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Davidenko went from 171 recorded bearers to 188. That is an increase of 17 (+9.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #104,602 to #102,164.
What does the Census say about the background of Davidenko?
Among Census respondents with the surname Davidenko, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.1%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Davidenko in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (177 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Davidenko appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Hispanic (2.1%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Davidenko (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 Davidenko mean?
A surname with Ukrainian or Russian origins, meaning "son of David". 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 Davidenko (0.06 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 Davidenko?
You can see how many people have the surname Davidenko on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.