2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Jurbala
A variant spelling of the Latvian surname Jūrbala, possibly derived from a topographic name related to bodies of water.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Jurbala. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jurbala 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Jurbala in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jurbala, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jurbala
The surname JURBALA has its origins in the region of present-day Lithuania, dating back to the late 15th century. The name is derived from the Lithuanian word "jurbala," which translates to "seashore" or "coastland," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name resided in coastal areas or near the Baltic Sea.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the JURBALA surname can be found in a manuscript from 1492, which lists a landowner named Petras JURBALA in the village of Klaipeda, located in the Curonian Spit region. This area was historically part of the Duchy of Prussia, and the surname likely originated among the Lithuanian population living there.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the JURBALA name appeared in various official records and documents from the region, such as church registers and land ownership records. In 1613, a merchant named Jonas JURBALA was recorded as residing in the town of Palanga, which was a prominent fishing and trade settlement along the Baltic coast.
The JURBALA surname also has a connection to several place names in Lithuania. The village of Jurbalunas, located in the Klaipeda County, is believed to have derived its name from the JURBALA surname, suggesting that the family had a significant presence in the area.
Notable individuals bearing the JURBALA surname throughout history include:
1. Martynas JURBALA (1720-1792), a Lithuanian poet and playwright known for his works celebrating Lithuanian culture and language.
2. Ona JURBALA (1845-1923), a prominent educator and advocate for women's rights in Lithuania during the late 19th century.
3. Jurgis JURBALA (1876-1938), a Lithuanian artist and painter known for his landscape paintings depicting the coastal regions of Lithuania.
4. Antanas JURBALA (1901-1977), a Lithuanian-American writer and journalist who documented the experiences of Lithuanian immigrants in the United States.
5. Emilija JURBALA (1925-2012), a renowned Lithuanian sculptor and artist whose works are displayed in various museums and public spaces across Lithuania.
The JURBALA surname has endured over centuries, maintaining its ties to the coastal regions of Lithuania and the cultural heritage of the Lithuanian people.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jurbala
Among Census respondents with the surname Jurbala, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Jurbala 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 Jurbala surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jurbala
Jurbala 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+11 bearers (+10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,739 places
2020
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-19 bearers (-16.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 14,161 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.4%) | Up 1,739 places |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -19 bearers (-16.2%) | Down 14,161 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 Jurbala 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 | #142,108 | #156,269 | -10.0% |
| Count | 117 | 98 | -16.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jurbala bearers went from 117 to 98 (-16.2% change). The surname moved down 14,161 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #156,269.
FAQ
Jurbala surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jurbala?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Jurbala. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Jurbala?
Jurbala ranks #156,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 98 people with the surname Jurbala. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Jurbala.
Has Jurbala become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jurbala went from 117 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 19 (-16.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Jurbala?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jurbala, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) 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 Jurbala in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jurbala appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Hispanic (2.0%), 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 Jurbala (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 Jurbala mean?
A variant spelling of the Latvian surname Jūrbala, possibly derived from a topographic name related to bodies of water. 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 Jurbala (0.03 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 last name Jurbala?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Jurbala on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.