2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Drobney
A surname with East European roots, possibly originating from Poland or Ukraine.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Drobney. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Drobney 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Drobney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Drobney, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Drobney
The surname Drobney is of Polish origin and dates back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Polish word "drab," which means "a small path or road." This suggests that the name may have originated from a place name or a description of someone who lived near a small path or roadway.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Drobney surname can be found in the parish records of the village of Dobra, located in the Mazowieckie region of Poland. In 1587, a man named Jan Drobney was listed as a resident of the village. This is a significant historical reference, as it provides evidence of the name's existence and its connection to a specific geographic location.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Drobney surname began to spread across other regions of Poland, as well as neighboring countries such as Ukraine and Belarus. This was likely due to migration and the establishment of new settlements by individuals bearing the name.
One notable individual with the Drobney surname was Tomasz Drobney (1765-1832), a Polish military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He served in the Polish Legions and later became a general in the Duchy of Warsaw, which was a client state of the First French Empire.
Another prominent figure was Katarzyna Drobney (1810-1892), a Polish writer and poet who was active during the Romantic era. Her works often explored themes of national identity and the struggle for Polish independence.
In the 19th century, the Drobney surname began to appear in various historical records and documents outside of Poland. For instance, in 1842, a man named Jakub Drobney was listed as a resident of the town of Brody, located in what is now western Ukraine.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Drobney surname in the United States can be traced back to the late 19th century. In 1887, a Polish immigrant named Marcin Drobney arrived in New York City, seeking new opportunities and a better life.
Another significant figure with the Drobney surname was Zygmunt Drobney (1879-1956), a Polish architect and urban planner. He was known for his innovative designs and played a crucial role in the development of several cities in Poland, including Warsaw and Krakow.
As the 20th century progressed, the Drobney surname continued to spread across various parts of the world, with individuals bearing the name making contributions in various fields, such as science, arts, and literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Drobney
Among Census respondents with the surname Drobney, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Drobney 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 Drobney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino9.1% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Drobney
Drobney 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-16 bearers (-12.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,052 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,006 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-12.8%) | Down 24,052 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 1,006 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 Drobney 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 | #150,452 | #149,446 | 0.7% |
| Count | 109 | 110 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Drobney bearers went from 109 to 110 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 1,006 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #149,446.
FAQ
Drobney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Drobney?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Drobney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Drobney?
Drobney ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Drobney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Drobney.
Has Drobney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Drobney went from 109 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Drobney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Drobney, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Drobney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Drobney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Hispanic (9.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Drobney (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 Drobney mean?
A surname with East European roots, possibly originating from Poland or Ukraine. 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 Drobney (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 many people are called Drobney?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Drobney on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.