2000
#123,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Graska
A surname of Polish origin potentially derived from the word "graska", meaning a small or poor village.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Graska. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Graska 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Graska in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Graska, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Graska
The surname GRASKA has its origins in the Czech Republic and can be traced back to the late 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Czech word "graska," which referred to a small coin or a unit of weight measurement, suggesting that the name may have been initially associated with individuals involved in trade or commerce.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GRASKA surname appears in a document from the town of Brno, dated 1487, where a merchant named Jan GRASKA is mentioned. This indicates that the name had already established itself in the region during that period.
In the 16th century, the GRASKA surname gained prominence in the area around the town of Ostrava, located in the eastern part of the Czech Republic. Records from that time indicate that several families bearing the GRASKA name were landowners and influential members of the local community.
A notable figure in the history of the GRASKA surname was Karel GRASKA, born in 1632 in Ostrava. He served as a prominent magistrate and played a significant role in the town's governance during a period of political turmoil.
The GRASKA surname also appears in historical records from neighboring regions, such as Silesia and Moravia, indicating that the name had spread beyond its initial origin. For instance, in the late 17th century, a document from the town of Opava in Silesia mentions a merchant named Jakub GRASKA, who was involved in trade with neighboring territories.
During the 18th century, the GRASKA surname continued to be well-represented in various parts of the Czech lands. One notable individual was Vaclav GRASKA, born in 1748 in Brno, who was a renowned scholar and author of several philosophical treatises.
As the GRASKA surname spread further afield, it also found its way into other parts of Europe. In the early 19th century, records from the city of Vienna in Austria mention a notable artist named Josef GRASKA, who was born in 1785 and gained recognition for his landscape paintings.
Throughout its history, the GRASKA surname has been associated with individuals from diverse professions, including merchants, landowners, scholars, artists, and public servants. While the name may have originated from a humble reference to a small coin or unit of measurement, it has since become a respected surname with a rich cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Graska
Among Census respondents with the surname Graska, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Graska 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 Graska surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino8.4% · 10
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Graska
Graska 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-7 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,013 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-3 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,461 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #123,314 | 129 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 14,013 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 5,461 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 Graska 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 | #137,327 | #142,788 | -4.0% |
| Count | 122 | 119 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Graska bearers went from 122 to 119 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 5,461 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #142,788.
FAQ
Graska surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Graska?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Graska. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Graska?
Graska ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Graska. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Graska.
Has Graska become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Graska went from 122 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Graska?
Among Census respondents with the surname Graska, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Graska in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Graska appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Hispanic (8.4%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Graska (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 Graska mean?
A surname of Polish origin potentially derived from the word "graska", meaning a small or poor village. 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 Graska (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 Graska?
See how many Americans have the surname Graska on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.