2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Oktavec
Slovenian surname derived from the month of October or the word for eight.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Oktavec. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Oktavec 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Oktavec in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Oktavec, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Oktavec
The surname OKTAVEC has its origins in Slovenia, tracing back to the late 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Slovenian word "oktava," meaning "octave" or "eighth day." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone born on the eighth day of a significant event or celebration.
The earliest recorded instance of the OKTAVEC surname appears in a local parish register from the village of Radovljica in the late 1400s. At that time, the spelling was slightly different, appearing as "Oktauetz." This variation in spelling was common during that era due to the inconsistencies in record-keeping and the lack of standardized spelling conventions.
One notable bearer of the OKTAVEC name was Janez Oktavec (1528-1596), a renowned scholar and theologian from Ljubljana. He authored several influential works on religious philosophy and played a significant role in the intellectual discourse of his time.
In the 17th century, the name appeared in various land records and legal documents from the region around Maribor, indicating the presence of an OKTAVEC family with landholdings in that area.
Another prominent figure with the OKTAVEC surname was Marija Oktavec (1723-1802), a celebrated weaver and artisan from the town of Kamnik. Her intricate tapestries and textiles were highly sought after by nobility and wealthy patrons throughout the Slovenian lands.
During the 19th century, the OKTAVEC name gained recognition through the work of Anton Oktavec (1841-1917), a renowned architect and urban planner. He was responsible for designing several iconic buildings and public spaces in Ljubljana, many of which still stand today as testament to his architectural prowess.
The OKTAVEC surname also had a presence in the literary world, with Franc Oktavec (1876-1944), a respected poet and writer whose works explored themes of Slovenian culture, tradition, and national identity.
While the OKTAVEC name originated in Slovenia, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and diaspora communities. However, its roots and historical significance remain firmly tied to the Slovenian lands and the rich cultural heritage of that region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Oktavec
Among Census respondents with the surname Oktavec, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Oktavec 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 Oktavec surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.2% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino5.4% · 6
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Oktavec
Oktavec 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
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,379 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-10 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,627 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 9,379 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 10,627 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 Oktavec 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 | #147,954 | -7.7% |
| Count | 122 | 112 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Oktavec bearers went from 122 to 112 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 10,627 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #147,954.
FAQ
Oktavec surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Oktavec?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Oktavec. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Oktavec?
Oktavec ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Oktavec. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Oktavec.
Has Oktavec become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Oktavec went from 122 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Oktavec?
Among Census respondents with the surname Oktavec, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Black (1.8%). 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 Oktavec in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Oktavec appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.2%), Hispanic (5.4%), Black (1.8%). 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 Oktavec (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 Oktavec mean?
Slovenian surname derived from the month of October or the word for eight. 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 Oktavec (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 last name Oktavec?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Oktavec at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.