2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Desatnik
A Russian surname derived from a military rank equivalent to sergeant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Desatnik. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Desatnik 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Desatnik in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Desatnik, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Desatnik
The surname Desatnik has its origins in Eastern Europe, particularly in the regions of modern-day Russia and Ukraine. It emerged during the 16th to 18th centuries and is derived from the Russian word "desyatnik," which referred to a military position or rank akin to a corporal or sergeant in charge of a squad of ten soldiers.
This surname likely originated from individuals who held this military position or were descendants of such individuals. In the Muscovite and later Russian armies, the desyatnik played a crucial role in maintaining discipline and leading small units of soldiers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Desatnik can be found in the military records of the Streltsy, an elite infantry corps in the service of the Tsars of Russia. These records date back to the late 16th and early 17th centuries, mentioning individuals with the surname Desatnik serving in various regiments and campaigns.
During the 17th century, a prominent individual with the surname Desatnik was Ivan Desatnik, a Cossack leader who participated in the Khmelnytsky Uprising against Polish rule in Ukraine. He was born around 1620 and played a significant role in the early stages of the uprising before being captured and executed by the Polish authorities in 1648.
In the 18th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Desatnik was Grigory Desatnik, a Russian military officer who served in the Imperial Russian Army during the reign of Catherine the Great. He was born in 1745 and participated in several campaigns against the Ottoman Empire, including the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774.
Another individual of note was Fyodor Desatnik, a Russian merchant and landowner who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He hailed from the city of Tambov and was known for his successful trading ventures and philanthropic activities in the region.
In the 19th century, the surname Desatnik can be found in various records and documents from the Russian Empire, including census records, military registers, and land ownership records. One notable bearer of the name during this period was Pavel Desatnik, a Russian writer and journalist born in 1835 in the city of Nizhny Novgorod.
Throughout its history, the surname Desatnik has been associated with military service, land ownership, and various professions in Russia and Ukraine. Its origins reflect the rich military heritage and social structures of Eastern European societies during the 16th to 19th centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Desatnik
Among Census respondents with the surname Desatnik, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Desatnik 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 Desatnik surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Desatnik
Desatnik 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,758 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,834 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 7,758 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 2,834 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 Desatnik 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 | #153,769 | #150,935 | 1.8% |
| Count | 106 | 108 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Desatnik bearers went from 106 to 108 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 2,834 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #150,935.
FAQ
Desatnik surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Desatnik?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Desatnik. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Desatnik?
Desatnik ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Desatnik. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Desatnik.
Has Desatnik become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Desatnik went from 106 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Desatnik?
Among Census respondents with the surname Desatnik, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Desatnik in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Desatnik appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Desatnik (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 Desatnik mean?
A Russian surname derived from a military rank equivalent to sergeant. 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 Desatnik (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 common is the surname Desatnik?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Desatnik on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.