2010
#77,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 246
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Gjoka
An Albanian surname derived from the Albanian word for "spike" or "thorn".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 509 Americans carry the last name Gjoka. That puts it at #50,816 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 673,388 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gjoka 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
509
1 in 673,388
Census rank
#50,816
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
444
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 444 bearers of the surname Gjoka in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 50816th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gjoka, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.5%) and Two or More Races (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gjoka
The surname GJOKA originates from Albania, with its roots dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Albanian word "gjok," which translates to "branch" or "twig," possibly indicating a connection to a particular family or clan with roots in the mountainous regions of the country.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GJOKA surname can be found in a medieval manuscript from the city of Kruja, which was a stronghold of the Albanian resistance against the Ottoman Empire. This document, dated around 1450, mentions a prominent figure named Gjergj GJOKA, who played a role in the defense of the city.
In the 16th century, the GJOKA name appears in several historical records related to the Albanian diaspora in Italy. During this period, many Albanians sought refuge in southern Italy, particularly in the regions of Calabria and Sicily, fleeing the Ottoman conquest of their homeland. Notable individuals from this time include Nikoll GJOKA (1520-1592), a merchant and community leader in the city of Palermo.
As the centuries progressed, the GJOKA surname continued to spread across various regions of Albania and among Albanian communities abroad. One prominent figure was Thanas GJOKA (1768-1843), a renowned Albanian writer and scholar who played a crucial role in preserving and promoting the Albanian language and culture during the Ottoman rule.
In the 19th century, the GJOKA name gained further recognition with the birth of Ismail Qemal GJOKA (1844-1919), a respected Albanian politician and diplomat who played a significant role in the country's struggle for independence from the Ottoman Empire.
Another notable individual was Milica GJOKA (1892-1968), a renowned Albanian writer and feminist activist who fought for women's rights and education in the early 20th century.
Throughout history, the GJOKA surname has been associated with various professions and achievements, from scholars and writers to politicians and community leaders. Despite its Albanian roots, the name has also found its way into other parts of the world, carried by the Albanian diaspora and their descendants.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gjoka
Among Census respondents with the surname Gjoka, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.5%) and Two or More Races (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Gjoka 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 Gjoka surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.1% · 440
- Hispanic or Latino0.5% · 2
- Two or more races0.5% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gjoka
Gjoka appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#50,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 444
+198 bearers (+80.5%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 26,972 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #77,788 | 246 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #50,816 | 444 | 0.15 | +198 bearers (+80.5%) | Up 26,972 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 Gjoka 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 | #77,788 | #50,816 | 34.7% |
| Count | 246 | 444 | 80.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.15 | 85.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gjoka bearers went from 246 to 444 (+80.5% change). The surname moved up 26,972 positions in the national ranking, going from #77,788 to #50,816.
FAQ
Gjoka surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gjoka?
Name Census estimates that about 509 living Americans carry the surname Gjoka. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 673,388 residents.
How common is Gjoka?
Gjoka ranks #50,816 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 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 444 people with the surname Gjoka. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (509), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 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 Gjoka.
Has Gjoka become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gjoka went from 246 recorded bearers to 444. That is an increase of 198 (+80.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #77,788 to #50,816.
What does the Census say about the background of Gjoka?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gjoka, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.5%) and Two or More Races (0.5%). 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 Gjoka in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (440 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gjoka appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.1%), Hispanic (0.5%), Two or More Races (0.5%). 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 Gjoka (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 Gjoka mean?
An Albanian surname derived from the Albanian word for "spike" or "thorn". 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 Gjoka (0.15 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 Americans have the surname Gjoka?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.