Dobrovolný last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Dobrovolný is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Dobrovolný.

Meaning of Dobrovolný

A surname meaning "volunteer" or "willful" in Czech.

Dobrovolný, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Dobrovolný surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dobrovolný in America

Dobrovolný is the 70208th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dobrovolný surname appeared 279 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Dobrovolný.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dobrovolný to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 70208 74957 -6.54%
Count 279 240 15.03%
Proportion per 100k 0.09 0.09 0.00%

The history of the last name Dobrovolný

The surname Dobrovolny originates from the Czech Republic, with its roots dating back to the 15th century. The name is derived from the Czech words "dobrý" (good) and "volný" (free), suggesting that it was initially given to someone who was a free, goodly person or a person of good will.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Dobrovolny can be found in the Bohemian Land Rolls, a historical record of land ownership and transactions in the region, dating back to the 15th century. The name is also mentioned in various parish records and manuscripts from the same period, indicating its widespread use among the Czech population.

One notable bearer of the Dobrovolny surname was Jan Dobrovolny (1497-1567), a Czech Renaissance painter and engraver known for his religious artwork and woodcuts. His works can be found in various churches and museums across the Czech Republic.

Another prominent figure with the Dobrovolny name was Václav Dobrovolny (1723-1804), a Czech composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister at the Cathedral of St. Vitus in Prague. He is celebrated for his contributions to sacred music and his influence on the development of Czech classical music.

In the 19th century, Josef Dobrovolny (1823-1901) gained recognition as a Czech writer and journalist. He was a prominent figure in the Czech National Revival movement and played a crucial role in promoting Czech language and culture.

The Dobrovolny surname also found its way into the military annals of history. Jan Dobrovolny (1868-1925) was a Czech general who served in the Austro-Hungarian army during World War I and later became a prominent figure in the newly formed Czechoslovak Republic.

Another notable bearer of the Dobrovolny name was Vladimír Dobrovolny (1921-1997), a Czech film director and screenwriter known for his contributions to the Czechoslovak New Wave cinema movement. His films, such as "The Fireman's Ball" (1967), are considered classics of Czech cinema.

While the surname Dobrovolny may have evolved slightly in spelling over the centuries, its core meaning and connection to the Czech heritage have remained intact, serving as a testament to the rich cultural heritage of the Czech people.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dobrovolný

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Dobrovolný.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Dobrovolný was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.62% 264
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.79% 5
Hispanic Origin 2.51% 7

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Dobrovolný has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 94.62% 97.08% -2.57%
Black (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.79% 0.00% 200.00%
Hispanic 2.51% (S)% (S)%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Dobrovolný was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Dobrovolný, please contact us.

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"Dobrovolný last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on January 29, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/dobrovolny-surname-popularity/.

"Dobrovolný last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/dobrovolny-surname-popularity/. Accessed 29 January, 2025

Dobrovolný last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/dobrovolny-surname-popularity/.

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