2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lichota
A Polish surname derived from the Slavic word for "glade" or "clearing".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Lichota. 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 Lichota 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 Lichota 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 Lichota, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lichota
The surname Lichota originated in Poland, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Polish word "lichota," which translates to "a meager plot of land" or "poor soil." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person who owned or worked on land of poor quality.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Lichota surname can be found in the Księga Henrykowska, a medieval Polish manuscript dating back to the 13th century. This document contains various entries related to land ownership and transactions, indicating that the Lichota name was already in use during this time period.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Jan Lichota was mentioned in the records of the town of Bochnia, located in southern Poland. He was a prominent merchant and landowner, further solidifying the connection between the Lichota name and land-related occupations or possessions.
Another historical reference to the name can be found in the Akta Grodzkie, a collection of court records from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. These records document legal proceedings and disputes involving individuals with the Lichota surname, providing insight into their social status and activities during that time period.
As for notable individuals bearing the Lichota surname, one can mention Wojciech Lichota (1565-1631), a Polish nobleman and military commander who served in the armies of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. He played a significant role in the Polish-Swedish War and was recognized for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
Another prominent figure was Magdalena Lichota (1718-1793), a Polish landowner and philanthropist. She was known for her charitable endeavors, including the establishment of schools and hospitals for the underprivileged in her region.
In the 19th century, Kazimierz Lichota (1824-1897) made a name for himself as a renowned Polish architect. He designed several notable buildings, including churches and public structures, throughout the regions of Galicia and Lodomeria, which were part of the Austrian Empire at the time.
Towards the end of the 19th century, Józef Lichota (1861-1933) gained recognition as a Polish writer and journalist. He contributed to various literary publications and was known for his novels and short stories that explored themes of rural life and social issues.
In more recent history, Tadeusz Lichota (1905-1983) was a Polish painter and graphic artist who gained acclaim for his landscape paintings and etchings. His works were exhibited in numerous galleries and museums throughout Poland and Europe, cementing his place in the art world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lichota
Among Census respondents with the surname Lichota, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Lichota 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 Lichota surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 110
- Two or more races4.1% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lichota
Lichota 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,884 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,982 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 6,884 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 3,982 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 Lichota 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 | #137,327 | #141,309 | -2.9% |
| Count | 122 | 121 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lichota bearers went from 122 to 121 (-0.8% change). The surname moved down 3,982 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #141,309.
FAQ
Lichota surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lichota?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Lichota. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Lichota?
Lichota 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 Lichota. 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 Lichota.
Has Lichota become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lichota went from 122 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Lichota?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lichota, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Lichota in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lichota appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Lichota (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 Lichota mean?
A Polish surname derived from the Slavic word for "glade" or "clearing". 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 Lichota (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 have the surname Lichota?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.