2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kopnicky
A locational surname derived from a place name in Slovakia.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Kopnicky. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kopnicky 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Kopnicky in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kopnicky, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kopnicky
The surname Kopnicky originated in the Czech Republic, with its earliest known recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Czech word "kopnik," which means "digger" or "one who digs." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone whose occupation involved digging or excavating.
The name Kopnicky is most closely associated with the regions of Bohemia and Moravia, which were historical lands within the Czech Republic. In these areas, the name appeared in various old records and manuscripts, including parish registers and land ownership documents.
One of the earliest known references to the name Kopnicky can be found in a 16th-century manuscript from the town of Litomerice, which mentions a certain Jan Kopnicky as a local landowner. Another notable early mention is in the records of the town of Brno, where a family by the name of Kopnicky is listed as residing in the area in the late 16th century.
Over the centuries, the name Kopnicky has been subject to various spelling variations, including Kopnicky, Kopnicka, and Kopnitzky. These variations often reflect regional dialects or differences in transcription.
While not widely known, there have been a few notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Kopnicky:
1. Vaclav Kopnicky (1775-1849), a Czech poet and writer known for his contributions to the Czech National Revival movement.
2. Josef Kopnicky (1839-1910), a Czech architect who designed several notable buildings in Prague, including the National Theatre.
3. Frantisek Kopnicky (1867-1941), a Czech painter and illustrator renowned for his landscape paintings depicting the Bohemian countryside.
4. Karel Kopnicky (1892-1972), a Czech engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early automotive technologies.
5. Alena Kopnickova (1923-2008), a Czech actress and theater director who had a prolific career in both film and stage productions.
While the surname Kopnicky may not be among the most widely recognized, its long history and connection to the Czech lands make it a distinctive and fascinating name with deep roots in Central European culture and heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kopnicky
Among Census respondents with the surname Kopnicky, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Kopnicky 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 Kopnicky surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.1% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kopnicky
Kopnicky 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+4 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,548 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-8 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 5,360 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 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 5,548 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -8 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 5,360 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 Kopnicky 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 | #149,395 | #154,755 | -3.6% |
| Count | 110 | 102 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kopnicky bearers went from 110 to 102 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 5,360 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #154,755.
FAQ
Kopnicky surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kopnicky?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Kopnicky. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Kopnicky?
Kopnicky ranks #154,755 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 102 people with the surname Kopnicky. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), 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 Kopnicky.
Has Kopnicky become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kopnicky went from 110 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Kopnicky?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kopnicky, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Black (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 Kopnicky in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.1% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kopnicky appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.1%), Hispanic (2.0%), Black (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 Kopnicky (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 Kopnicky mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name in Slovakia. 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 Kopnicky (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 surname Kopnicky?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.