2000
#14,200
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,940
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.72
Rare Last name
Demko
A Ukrainian surname derived from the given name Demyan, meaning "to tame" or "to subdue."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,148 Americans carry the last name Demko. That puts it at #15,115 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 159,569 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Demko 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
2.1K
1 in 159,569
Census rank
#15,115
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,873 bearers of the surname Demko in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15115th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Demko, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Demko
The surname DEMKO is of Slavic origin, originating from areas of Eastern Europe such as Poland, Ukraine, and Russia. It is believed to have derived from the Slavic root word "dem," which means "home" or "household." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with a person who worked as a housekeeper or caretaker of a household.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DEMKO surname can be found in the records of the Polish town of Olkusz, where a man named Jan Demko was listed as a resident in the 16th century. Additionally, there are records of individuals with variations of the name, such as Demko and Demkow, in the historical records of various regions within Poland and Ukraine.
The DEMKO surname has been present in various historical records throughout the centuries. For instance, in the 18th century, a man named Andrei Demko was documented as a prominent landowner in the Khmilnyk region of Ukraine. Another notable individual was Yakov Demko, a Ukrainian-born artist who lived in the late 19th century and was known for his paintings depicting rural life in Ukraine.
In the 20th century, the DEMKO surname gained recognition through several individuals. One such person was Mykola Demko, a Ukrainian writer and poet who lived from 1892 to 1959 and was known for his works exploring themes of rural life and Ukrainian nationalism. Another notable figure was Mariya Demko, a Ukrainian-American activist and community leader who worked tirelessly to preserve Ukrainian culture and traditions in the United States during the mid-20th century.
The name DEMKO has also been associated with various place names and geographical locations throughout Eastern Europe. For example, the village of Demkivka in western Ukraine is believed to have derived its name from the DEMKO surname, potentially indicating a connection to an early settler or landowner in the area.
While the DEMKO surname has its roots in Eastern Europe, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to immigration and migration patterns. However, the oldest and most historical records of the name can be traced back to regions such as Poland, Ukraine, and Russia, where it has a rich and enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Demko
Among Census respondents with the surname Demko, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Demko 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 Demko surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 1,703
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 86
- Two or more races3.4% · 63
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 10
- Black or African American0.4% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Demko
Demko 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
#14,965
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,976
+36 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 765 places
2020
#15,115
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,873
-103 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 150 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,200 | 1,940 | 0.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,965 | 1,976 | 0.67 | +36 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 765 places |
| 2020 | #15,115 | 1,873 | 0.63 | -103 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 150 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 Demko 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 | #14,965 | #15,115 | -1.0% |
| Count | 1,976 | 1,873 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.63 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Demko bearers went from 1,976 to 1,873 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 150 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,965 to #15,115.
FAQ
Demko surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Demko?
Name Census estimates that about 2,148 living Americans carry the surname Demko. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 159,569 residents.
How common is Demko?
Demko ranks #15,115 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 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 1,873 people with the surname Demko. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,148), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 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 Demko.
Has Demko become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Demko went from 1,976 recorded bearers to 1,873. That is a decrease of 103 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,965 to #15,115.
What does the Census say about the background of Demko?
Among Census respondents with the surname Demko, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Demko in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (1,703 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Demko appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), Hispanic (4.6%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Demko (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 Demko mean?
A Ukrainian surname derived from the given name Demyan, meaning "to tame" or "to subdue." 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 Demko (0.63 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 Demko?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.