Find out how popular the last name Koudelka is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Koudelka.
A surname derived from the Czech word "koudel" meaning "tow" or "coarse flax fiber."
Koudelka, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Koudelka surname is from the 2010 census data.
Koudelka is the 43969th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Koudelka surname appeared 490 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Koudelka.
We can also compare 2010 data for Koudelka to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 43969 | 41657 | 5.40% |
Count | 490 | 492 | -0.41% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.17 | 0.18 | -5.71% |
The surname Koudelka is of Czech origin, dating back to the 14th century. It is derived from the Czech word "koudel," which means "tow" or "coarse flax fiber." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who worked with flax fibers or was involved in the textile industry.
The name is believed to have originated in the region of Bohemia, which was part of the Kingdom of Bohemia within the Holy Roman Empire. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval records from Bohemian towns and villages.
In the 15th century, a nobleman named Jan Koudelka was mentioned in a document related to a land dispute in the town of Strakonice, located in southern Bohemia. This is one of the earliest known mentions of the name in historical records.
Another notable individual with the surname Koudelka was Josef Koudelka, a renowned Czech photographer born in 1938. He is best known for his influential work documenting the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia.
In the late 19th century, a Czech composer named Václav Koudelka (1868-1938) gained recognition for his operas and orchestral works, which were influenced by the traditional folk music of Bohemia.
The name Koudelka can also be found in historical records from other parts of the Czech lands, such as Moravia and Silesia. For instance, there was a village called Koudelkov in the Opava region of Silesia, which may have been named after an early settler with the Koudelka surname.
Other notable individuals with the surname Koudelka include František Koudelka (1839-1892), a Czech painter and illustrator known for his depictions of rural life and landscapes, and Jaroslav Koudelka (1912-1995), a Czech writer and journalist who documented the experiences of Czechs during World War II.
Throughout its history, the surname Koudelka has maintained a strong connection to its Czech roots, reflecting the cultural and linguistic heritage of the regions where it originated.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Koudelka.
The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Koudelka was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 95.92% | 470 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | 0.00% | 0 |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | (S)% | (S) |
Hispanic Origin | 2.04% | 10 |
Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.
Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Koudelka has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 95.92% | 95.93% | -0.01% |
Black | 0.00% | (S)% | (S)% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | 0.00% | (S)% |
Two or More Races | (S)% | 1.22% | (S)% |
Hispanic | 2.04% | 1.83% | 10.85% |
The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.
The history and meaning of the name Koudelka was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/koudelka-surname-popularity/">Koudelka last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"Koudelka last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on June 28, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/koudelka-surname-popularity/.
"Koudelka last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/koudelka-surname-popularity/. Accessed 28 June, 2025
Koudelka last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/koudelka-surname-popularity/.
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