2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kolko
A Polish surname derived from the word "kolko," meaning "little wheel."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Kolko. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kolko 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Kolko in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kolko, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kolko
The surname KOLKO is thought to have originated in Poland in the early 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Polish word 'kolko', which means 'little circle' or 'little ring'. This suggests that the name may have been occupational, referring to someone who made or sold rings or circles.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname KOLKO can be found in the parish records of the town of Krakow, Poland, dating back to the year 1532. The name is spelled 'Kolcko' in these records, which is likely an older spelling variation.
In the 17th century, there are references to a family of KOLKO landowners in the village of Stare Kolki, near the town of Sandomierz in southeastern Poland. The name 'Stare Kolki' itself means 'Old Circles', which further reinforces the connection between the surname and the Polish word for 'circle'.
A notable figure with the surname KOLKO was Jan KOLKO, a Polish painter and engraver who lived from 1641 to 1719. He is best known for his religious paintings and engravings, many of which can still be found in churches throughout Poland.
Another historical figure was Stanislaw KOLKO, a Polish mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1536 to 1597. He is credited with several important contributions to the field of astronomy, including the publication of a widely used astronomical calendar.
In the 19th century, a prominent member of the KOLKO family was Józef KOLKO, a Polish writer and journalist who lived from 1814 to 1888. He wrote extensively on political and social issues of the time and was a strong advocate for Polish independence from foreign rule.
Moving into the 20th century, one notable bearer of the KOLKO surname was Gabriel KOLKO, an American historian and author who was born in 1932. He is best known for his writings on the political and economic history of the United States, particularly his work on the origins of the Cold War.
Finally, it is worth mentioning Marthe KOLKO, a French artist and sculptor who lived from 1904 to 1989. She was a member of the Cubist movement and is particularly known for her abstract sculptures made from various materials, including wood, metal, and stone.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kolko
Among Census respondents with the surname Kolko, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Kolko 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 Kolko surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 5
- Two or more races3.3% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kolko
Kolko 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
#116,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 150
+20 bearers (+15.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 6,333 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-29 bearers (-19.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,108 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #116,201 | 150 | 0.05 | +20 bearers (+15.4%) | Up 6,333 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -29 bearers (-19.3%) | Down 25,108 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 Kolko 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 | #116,201 | #141,309 | -21.6% |
| Count | 150 | 121 | -19.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kolko bearers went from 150 to 121 (-19.3% change). The surname moved down 25,108 positions in the national ranking, going from #116,201 to #141,309.
FAQ
Kolko surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kolko?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Kolko. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Kolko?
Kolko ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Kolko. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Kolko.
Has Kolko become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kolko went from 150 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 29 (-19.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #116,201 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Kolko?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kolko, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Kolko in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kolko appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Kolko (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 Kolko mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "kolko," meaning "little wheel." 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 Kolko (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 many people share the surname Kolko?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.