2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dudko
A habitational surname derived from a place name in Russia or Ukraine.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 175 Americans carry the last name Dudko. That puts it at #119,572 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,958,596 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dudko 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
175
1 in 1,958,596
Census rank
#119,572
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
153
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 153 bearers of the surname Dudko in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 119572nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dudko, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Black (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dudko
The surname Dudko originated in the regions of modern-day Ukraine and Belarus in the 16th century. It is derived from the Ukrainian word "dudka," which means a type of folk woodwind instrument similar to a flute or pipe. The name likely referred to someone who played this traditional instrument or was associated with its making or selling.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Dudko can be found in the Prussian Inspection Books from the late 16th century, where it appears as "Dudka" in reference to individuals from the Chernigov region of Ukraine. The name was also documented in various church and census records in the Belarusian regions of Grodno and Vitebsk during the 17th and 18th centuries.
In the 19th century, the Dudko surname was particularly prevalent in the Gomel and Mogilev regions of modern-day Belarus, as well as in the neighboring Ukrainian territories. During this period, several notable individuals bearing this surname emerged, including the Belarusian writer and playwright Yazep Dudko (1826-1888), who is regarded as one of the pioneers of modern Belarusian literature.
Another prominent figure was Yauhen Dudko (1853-1923), a Belarusian educator and linguist who played a significant role in the development of the Belarusian language and the establishment of the Belarusian orthography. His contribution to the preservation of the Belarusian cultural heritage was invaluable.
In the 20th century, one of the most well-known individuals with the surname Dudko was the Soviet dissident and religious activist Vladimir Dudko (1935-2004). As a Russian Orthodox priest, he gained widespread recognition for his open criticism of the Soviet regime's policies towards religion and human rights.
Another notable figure was the Ukrainian artist and sculptor Volodymyr Dudko (1924-2006), whose works were exhibited in various galleries and museums across Ukraine and beyond. His sculptures and installations often explored themes of Ukrainian national identity and cultural heritage.
In the field of sports, the Belarusian boxer Viktar Dudko (born 1982) achieved success as a professional heavyweight boxer, winning several international titles and representing Belarus in the Olympic Games.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the surname Dudko, originating from the regions of Ukraine and Belarus and reflecting the cultural and linguistic traditions of these areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dudko
Among Census respondents with the surname Dudko, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Black (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Dudko 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 Dudko surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.1% · 147
- Two or more races2.6% · 4
- Black or African American0.7% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dudko
Dudko 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
#118,853
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 146
+40 bearers (+37.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 24,994 places
2020
#119,572
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 153
+7 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 719 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #118,853 | 146 | 0.05 | +40 bearers (+37.7%) | Up 24,994 places |
| 2020 | #119,572 | 153 | 0.05 | +7 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 719 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 Dudko 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 | #118,853 | #119,572 | -0.6% |
| Count | 146 | 153 | 4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | 2.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dudko bearers went from 146 to 153 (+4.8% change). The surname moved down 719 positions in the national ranking, going from #118,853 to #119,572.
FAQ
Dudko surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dudko?
Name Census estimates that about 175 living Americans carry the surname Dudko. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,958,596 residents.
How common is Dudko?
Dudko ranks #119,572 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 153 people with the surname Dudko. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (175), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Dudko.
Has Dudko become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dudko went from 146 recorded bearers to 153. That is an increase of 7 (+4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #118,853 to #119,572.
What does the Census say about the background of Dudko?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dudko, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Black (0.7%). 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 Dudko in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.1% (147 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dudko appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.1%), Two or More Races (2.6%), Black (0.7%). 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 Dudko (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 Dudko mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name in Russia 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 Dudko (0.05 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 Dudko?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Dudko at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.