2000
#35,860
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 592
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.22
Very Rare Last name
Michna
An Americanized form of the Slavic surname Michna or Michiná, indicating origin in Bohemia or Moravia.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 725 Americans carry the last name Michna. That puts it at #37,808 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 472,765 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Michna 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
725
1 in 472,765
Census rank
#37,808
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
632
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 632 bearers of the surname Michna in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 37808th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Michna, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Michna
The surname Michna is of Czech origin, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the region of Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic. The name Michna is likely derived from the personal name Michael, which was a popular name among Slavic populations during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Michna can be found in the Zemské desky, a series of land registers maintained by the Bohemian nobility from the 14th to the 17th centuries. These records document various individuals bearing the surname Michna, indicating that the name was well-established in the region by that time.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Michna family gained prominence in Bohemia. Notable individuals from this period include Václav Michna z Vacínova (1600-1675), a Czech politician and landowner who served as the president of the Bohemian Chamber of Accounts. Another significant figure was Pavel Michna (1592-1632), a Catholic priest and composer who is considered one of the most important figures in the early Baroque music of Bohemia.
The Michna surname later spread beyond the borders of Bohemia, as members of the family migrated to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. One prominent individual was Antonín Michna (1654-1715), a lawyer and landowner who served as the mayor of the town of Mladá Boleslav in Bohemia.
In the 19th century, the Michna surname gained recognition through the works of the Czech writer and journalist Karel Jaromír Michna (1835-1886), who was a prominent figure in the Czech National Revival movement. Another noteworthy individual was Petr Michna (1847-1912), a Czech engineer and architect who designed several notable buildings in Prague and other cities.
Among the more recent historical figures bearing the Michna surname is František Michna (1888-1964), a Czech soldier and military officer who fought in World War I and later served in the Czechoslovak Army during the interwar period and World War II.
While the Michna surname has its roots in the Czech lands, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and is now found in various countries, particularly those with significant Czech or Slavic populations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Michna
Among Census respondents with the surname Michna, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Michna 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 Michna surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 567
- Two or more races4.4% · 28
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 24
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 6
- Black or African American0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Michna
Michna 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
#36,246
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 618
+26 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Down 386 places
2020
#37,808
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 632
+14 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Down 1,562 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #35,860 | 592 | 0.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #36,246 | 618 | 0.21 | +26 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 386 places |
| 2020 | #37,808 | 632 | 0.21 | +14 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 1,562 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 Michna 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 | #36,246 | #37,808 | -4.3% |
| Count | 618 | 632 | 2.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.21 | 0.21 | 0.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Michna bearers went from 618 to 632 (+2.3% change). The surname moved down 1,562 positions in the national ranking, going from #36,246 to #37,808.
FAQ
Michna surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Michna?
Name Census estimates that about 725 living Americans carry the surname Michna. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 472,765 residents.
How common is Michna?
Michna ranks #37,808 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.21 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 632 people with the surname Michna. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (725), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.21 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 Michna.
Has Michna become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Michna went from 618 recorded bearers to 632. That is an increase of 14 (+2.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #36,246 to #37,808.
What does the Census say about the background of Michna?
Among Census respondents with the surname Michna, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Michna in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (567 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Michna appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Michna (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 Michna mean?
An Americanized form of the Slavic surname Michna or Michiná, indicating origin in Bohemia or Moravia. 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 Michna (0.21 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 Michna?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.