2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Licko
A surname derived from the Croatian town of Lika.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Licko. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Licko 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Licko in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Licko, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Black (2.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Licko
The surname Licko is believed to have originated in the region of Slovenia, dating back to the 11th or 12th century. It is derived from the Slavic root word "licko," which means "valley" or "hollow." This suggests that the name was likely initially given to someone who lived in or near a valley or hollow area.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Licko surname can be found in a manuscript from the 13th century, which referenced a landowner named Andrej Licko in the town of Logatec, located in what is now modern-day Slovenia. This document provides evidence of the name's presence in the region during that time period.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Jakob Licko was born in the village of Škofja Loka, Slovenia, in 1428. He was a renowned scholar and theologian who made significant contributions to the study of religious texts and teachings.
Another early instance of the Licko name can be traced to the 16th century, when a merchant named Janez Licko was recorded in the city of Ljubljana, Slovenia, in 1562. He was known for his successful trading business, which involved importing goods from various parts of Europe.
During the 17th century, a prominent Licko family resided in the town of Idrija, Slovenia. One member of this family, Matija Licko, born in 1621, gained recognition as a skilled metalsmith and craftsman, creating intricate metalwork pieces that were highly valued at the time.
In the 19th century, a notable figure named Ivan Licko (1826-1891) emerged from the village of Trnovo, Slovenia. He was a respected teacher and educational reformer who advocated for improved educational opportunities and methods in the region.
While the Licko surname has its roots in Slovenia, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including neighboring countries and beyond, as people migrated and settled in new areas. However, its origins can be traced back to the valleys and hollows of Slovenia, where the name first emerged and gained prominence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Licko
Among Census respondents with the surname Licko, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Black (2.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Licko 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 Licko surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.0% · 97
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Licko
Licko 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-14 bearers (-10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,615 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-15 bearers (-12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,121 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 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.8%) | Down 20,615 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -15 bearers (-12.9%) | Down 12,121 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 Licko 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 | #143,149 | #155,270 | -8.5% |
| Count | 116 | 101 | -12.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Licko bearers went from 116 to 101 (-12.9% change). The surname moved down 12,121 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #155,270.
FAQ
Licko surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Licko?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Licko. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Licko?
Licko ranks #155,270 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 101 people with the surname Licko. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), 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 Licko.
Has Licko become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Licko went from 116 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Licko?
Among Census respondents with the surname Licko, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Black (2.0%) and Hispanic (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 Licko in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.0% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Licko appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.0%), Black (2.0%), Hispanic (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 Licko (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 Licko mean?
A surname derived from the Croatian town of Lika. 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 Licko (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 share the surname Licko?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.