2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Metka
A surname possibly derived from a diminutive form of the Greek name Metrodora.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Metka. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Metka 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Metka in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Metka, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.7%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Metka
The surname "METKA" is a Slavic name that originated in the region of modern-day Poland and Czech Republic. It is derived from the Slavic root word "met", which means "to throw" or "to cast". This root word is found in many Slavic languages and is likely connected to the occupation or trade of those who worked with casting or throwing objects, such as blacksmiths or potters.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname "METKA" can be traced back to the 14th century in various historical documents and records from the region. One notable reference is found in the "Liber Beneficiorum" (Book of Benefices), a 14th-century manuscript detailing ecclesiastical benefices in the Archdiocese of Gniezno, Poland, where the name "Metka" is listed as a landowner or tenant.
In the 15th century, the surname appears in the "Kodeks Dyplomatyczny Małopolski" (Diplomatic Codex of Lesser Poland), a collection of historical documents from the region of Lesser Poland. This suggests that the name was not only present in the northern regions but had also spread southward.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname "METKA" was Jan Metka, a landowner and nobleman who lived in the late 15th century in the village of Krępa, near the town of Nowy Sącz in southern Poland. Records from that time indicate that he was a prominent figure in the local community.
In the 16th century, the name "METKA" can be found in the "Akta Metrykalne" (Metric Acts), which were official records of births, marriages, and deaths in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. One notable entry is the marriage record of Jakub Metka and Anna Kowalska in 1567 in the town of Łowicz, located in central Poland.
Another significant figure with the surname "METKA" was Stanisław Metka, a Polish poet and writer who lived in the 17th century. He is best known for his collection of religious poems titled "Ogród Różany" (Rose Garden), published in 1639. Stanisław Metka was born in 1590 in the town of Brzeźnica and died in 1657 in Kraków.
The surname "METKA" has also been associated with various place names and locations throughout the region. For example, the village of Metków in the Lubelskie Voivodeship of eastern Poland is believed to have been named after an early settler or landowner with the surname "METKA".
While the surname "METKA" is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the rich cultural heritage of the Slavic regions, particularly in Poland and the Czech Republic. Its origins and historical significance are deeply rooted in the occupations and trades of the past, reflecting the diverse and vibrant tapestry of these nations' histories.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Metka
Among Census respondents with the surname Metka, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.7%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Metka 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 Metka surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.5% · 86
- Two or more races8.7% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 5
- Black or African American2.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Metka
Metka appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-5 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 2,650 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 2,650 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 Metka 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 | #151,532 | #154,182 | -1.7% |
| Count | 108 | 103 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Metka bearers went from 108 to 103 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 2,650 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #154,182.
FAQ
Metka surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Metka?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Metka. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Metka?
Metka ranks #154,182 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 103 people with the surname Metka. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), 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 Metka.
Has Metka become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Metka went from 108 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Metka?
Among Census respondents with the surname Metka, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.7%) and Hispanic (4.9%). 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 Metka in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.5% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Metka appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.5%), Two or More Races (8.7%), Hispanic (4.9%). 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 Metka (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 Metka mean?
A surname possibly derived from a diminutive form of the Greek name Metrodora. 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 Metka (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 Americans have the surname Metka?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.