2000
#8,845
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,406
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.26
Rare Last name
Holub
A surname of Czech origin meaning "dove" or "pigeon," likely referring to a dove keeper or seller.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,758 Americans carry the last name Holub. That puts it at #9,491 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 91,207 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Holub 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Holub with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 91,207
Census rank
#9,491
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,277 bearers of the surname Holub in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9491st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Holub, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Holub
The surname HOLUB has its origins in the Czech Republic, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Czech word "holub," which means "pigeon" or "dove." This suggests that the name may have been given as a nickname or occupational name to someone who kept or worked with pigeons.
The earliest recorded instances of the HOLUB surname can be found in medieval Czech manuscripts and records from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, a certain "Petrus Holub" is mentioned in a document from the town of Brno in 1324.
In the 15th century, the name appears in various forms, such as "Holubek" and "Holubiec," which are diminutive or patronymic variations of the original HOLUB name. These variations suggest that the name was well-established and passed down through generations during this period.
One notable historical figure bearing the HOLUB surname was Jan Holub (1540-1619), a Czech astronomer and mathematician who worked at the court of Emperor Rudolf II in Prague. Holub made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and was a contemporary of Johannes Kepler.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Josef Holub (1870-1957), a Czech explorer and traveler who undertook expeditions to various parts of Africa in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He authored several books about his travels and discoveries, including "Seven Years in South Africa" (1904).
In the 18th century, the HOLUB name can be found in records from various regions of the Czech lands, indicating its spread across the country. For instance, a certain "Václav Holub" is listed as a landowner in the town of Třeboň in 1768.
While the name HOLUB is most prevalent in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, it has also been carried by individuals of Czech descent to other parts of the world, particularly during periods of emigration in the 19th and 20th centuries.
One notable example is Renée Holub (1903-1986), a Czech-American composer and pianist who immigrated to the United States in the 1920s and became known for her works inspired by Czech folk music.
The HOLUB surname continues to be widely used in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, with many individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields, from science and academia to the arts and literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Holub
Among Census respondents with the surname Holub, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Holub 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 Holub surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 3,049
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 115
- Two or more races2.4% · 80
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 19
- Black or African American0.3% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Holub
Holub 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
#9,615
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,380
-26 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 1.15
Rank movement Down 770 places
2020
#9,491
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,277
-103 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Up 124 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,845 | 3,406 | 1.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,615 | 3,380 | 1.15 | -26 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 770 places |
| 2020 | #9,491 | 3,277 | 1.10 | -103 bearers (-3.0%) | Up 124 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 Holub 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 | #9,615 | #9,491 | 1.3% |
| Count | 3,380 | 3,277 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.15 | 1.10 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Holub bearers went from 3,380 to 3,277 (-3.0% change). The surname moved up 124 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,615 to #9,491.
FAQ
Holub surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Holub?
Name Census estimates that about 3,758 living Americans carry the surname Holub. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 91,207 residents.
How common is Holub?
Holub ranks #9,491 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.10 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,277 people with the surname Holub. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,758), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.10 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Holub.
Has Holub become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Holub went from 3,380 recorded bearers to 3,277. That is a decrease of 103 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,615 to #9,491.
What does the Census say about the background of Holub?
Among Census respondents with the surname Holub, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Holub in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (3,049 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Holub appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Holub (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 Holub mean?
A surname of Czech origin meaning "dove" or "pigeon," likely referring to a dove keeper or seller. 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 Holub (1.10 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 many people have the surname Holub?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.