2000
#65,298
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 284
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Hlavka
A surname of Czech origin meaning "head" or "boss".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 353 Americans carry the last name Hlavka. That puts it at #68,789 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 970,975 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hlavka 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
353
1 in 970,975
Census rank
#68,789
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
308
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 308 bearers of the surname Hlavka in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 68789th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hlavka, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hlavka
The surname Hlavka has its origins in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Czech word "hlava," meaning "head" or "chief." The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname or occupational name for a leader, headman, or person of importance within a community.
In the early days, surnames were often derived from physical characteristics, occupations, or places of residence. The name Hlavka may have been given to individuals who held positions of authority or leadership roles in their respective villages or towns.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Hlavka can be found in the Liber Viridis, a 14th-century manuscript from the Czech Republic. This document contains records of land ownership and taxation, suggesting that the name was associated with landowners or individuals of notable status during that period.
During the 15th century, the surname Hlavka appeared in various historical records, including the Codex Diplomaticus et Epistolaris Regni Bohemiae, a collection of diplomatic documents and letters from the Kingdom of Bohemia. This indicates that the name had gained prominence among noble families and influential individuals in the region.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Hlavka include:
1. Jan Hlavka (1511-1580), a Czech Renaissance painter and engraver known for his religious works and portraiture.
2. Petr Hlavka (1680-1751), a Bohemian composer and organist who contributed to the development of the Czech baroque music tradition.
3. Jakub Hlavka (1795-1862), a Slovak writer and educator who played a significant role in the Slovak national revival movement.
4. Michal Hlavka (1864-1924), a Czech politician and journalist who served as a member of the Austro-Hungarian Imperial Council.
5. Zdenka Hlavkova (1898-1982), a Czech novelist and playwright renowned for her works exploring the lives of women in the early 20th century.
While the surname Hlavka has its roots in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, it remains most prevalent in its regions of origin, where it has been documented in historical records for centuries, reflecting the enduring legacy of this name and its cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hlavka
Among Census respondents with the surname Hlavka, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Hlavka 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 Hlavka surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.5% · 294
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 3
- Two or more races1.0% · 3
- Black or African American0.6% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hlavka
Hlavka 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
#64,559
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 308
+24 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 739 places
2020
#68,789
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 308
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 4,230 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #65,298 | 284 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #64,559 | 308 | 0.10 | +24 bearers (+8.5%) | Up 739 places |
| 2020 | #68,789 | 308 | 0.10 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 4,230 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 Hlavka 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 | #64,559 | #68,789 | -6.6% |
| Count | 308 | 308 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.10 | 3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hlavka bearers went from 308 to 308 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 4,230 positions in the national ranking, going from #64,559 to #68,789.
FAQ
Hlavka surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hlavka?
Name Census estimates that about 353 living Americans carry the surname Hlavka. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 970,975 residents.
How common is Hlavka?
Hlavka ranks #68,789 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 308 people with the surname Hlavka. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (353), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Hlavka.
Has Hlavka become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hlavka went from 308 recorded bearers to 308. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #64,559 to #68,789.
What does the Census say about the background of Hlavka?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hlavka, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Hlavka in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (294 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hlavka appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.5%), Hispanic (1.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Hlavka (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 Hlavka mean?
A surname of Czech origin meaning "head" or "boss". 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 Hlavka (0.10 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 Hlavka?
You can see how many people are called Hlavka on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.