2000
#45,573
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 442
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Very Rare Last name
Janota
A surname possibly originating from a Slavic language denoting an inhabitant or native of a certain area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 464 Americans carry the last name Janota. That puts it at #54,873 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 738,695 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Janota 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
464
1 in 738,695
Census rank
#54,873
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
405
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 405 bearers of the surname Janota in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 54873rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Janota, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Janota
The surname Janota is of Czech origin and can be traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated from the Czech word "janota," which means a young man or a youth. The name likely referred to someone who was young or youthful in appearance or behavior.
In the early records, the name was spelled in various ways, including Janota, Janotta, and Janotha. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Liber Viridis, a 14th-century manuscript from the town of Cheb (now in the Czech Republic), where a certain Petr Janota is mentioned as a resident.
The name Janota was particularly prevalent in the regions of Bohemia and Moravia, which are now part of the Czech Republic. Several notable individuals bore this surname throughout history, including Jan Janota (1565-1628), a Bohemian Protestant minister and author who wrote extensively on religious matters.
Another prominent figure was Frantisek Janota (1830-1895), a Czech writer and journalist who played a significant role in the Czech National Revival movement. He was known for his novels and short stories depicting the lives of ordinary people in rural Bohemia.
In the 18th century, a family by the name of Janota owned a brewery in the town of Třeboň, which was renowned for its beer production. The brewery remained in operation until the early 20th century and was an important part of the local economy.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in the English-speaking world can be found in the diary of Samuel Pepys, the famous 17th-century English diarist. In an entry dated January 1667, Pepys mentions a "Mr. Janota," a Dutch merchant he had dealings with.
Another notable figure was Frantisek Janota (1830-1895), a Czech writer and journalist who played a significant role in the Czech National Revival movement. He was known for his novels and short stories depicting the lives of ordinary people in rural Bohemia.
While the surname Janota is primarily associated with the Czech lands, it has also been found in other parts of Europe, likely due to migration and intermarriage. For example, there are records of individuals with this surname in Germany, Poland, and even Russia, though their connections to the original Czech lineage are often unclear.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Janota
Among Census respondents with the surname Janota, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Janota 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 Janota surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 372
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 19
- Two or more races2.0% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Janota
Janota 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
#49,461
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 425
-17 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 3,888 places
2020
#54,873
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 405
-20 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 5,412 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #45,573 | 442 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #49,461 | 425 | 0.14 | -17 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 3,888 places |
| 2020 | #54,873 | 405 | 0.14 | -20 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 5,412 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 Janota 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 | #49,461 | #54,873 | -10.9% |
| Count | 425 | 405 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.14 | 0.14 | -3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Janota bearers went from 425 to 405 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 5,412 positions in the national ranking, going from #49,461 to #54,873.
FAQ
Janota surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Janota?
Name Census estimates that about 464 living Americans carry the surname Janota. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 738,695 residents.
How common is Janota?
Janota ranks #54,873 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 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 405 people with the surname Janota. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (464), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 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 Janota.
Has Janota become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Janota went from 425 recorded bearers to 405. That is a decrease of 20 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #49,461 to #54,873.
What does the Census say about the background of Janota?
Among Census respondents with the surname Janota, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Janota in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (372 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Janota appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (4.7%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Janota (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 Janota mean?
A surname possibly originating from a Slavic language denoting an inhabitant or native of a certain area. 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 Janota (0.14 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 Janota?
Want to know how many people are called Janota? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.