2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Palivoda
A surname derived from the Slavic words for "burn" and "water", possibly referring to an occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Palivoda. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Palivoda 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Palivoda in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Palivoda, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.3%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Palivoda
The surname PALIVODA is of Slavic origin, with its roots tracing back to the Czech and Slovak regions of Central Europe during the medieval period. The name is believed to have derived from two words: "palivo" meaning "fuel" or "firewood," and "voda" meaning "water." This combination suggests that the name may have been associated with occupations related to the transportation or handling of firewood along waterways.
One of the earliest known references to the PALIVODA surname can be found in the records of the village of Lipnice nad Sázavou, located in the present-day Czech Republic, dating back to the 14th century. The name was also documented in various land registries and legal documents from the surrounding regions during this time.
In the 16th century, the PALIVODA name appeared in the Catholic parish records of the town of Horní Planá, situated in the historical region of Bohemia, which is now part of the Czech Republic. These records mention a certain Jan PALIVODA, born in 1532, who worked as a woodsman and rafting worker, transporting timber along the Vltava River.
The PALIVODA surname has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Jiří PALIVODA (1623-1697), a Czech Catholic priest and philosopher who served as the rector of the University of Prague and authored several theological treatises.
Another prominent bearer of the PALIVODA name was Antonín PALIVODA (1789-1861), a Czech writer and translator who played a significant role in the Czech National Revival Movement. His literary works helped revive and promote the use of the Czech language during a period of German cultural dominance.
In the 19th century, the PALIVODA surname gained recognition through the achievements of Václav PALIVODA (1825-1887), a Czech architect and urban planner who contributed to the design and development of several notable buildings and public spaces in Prague and other Czech cities.
Moving into the 20th century, the PALIVODA name was carried on by František PALIVODA (1914-1997), a Czech painter and graphic artist renowned for his landscape paintings and woodcut prints, which captured the beauty of the Czech countryside.
While the PALIVODA surname originated in the Czech and Slovak regions, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and the world due to emigration and migration patterns. However, its historical roots and connections to occupations related to forestry and waterways remain deeply embedded in its etymology and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Palivoda
Among Census respondents with the surname Palivoda, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.3%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Palivoda 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 Palivoda surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.7% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino13.3% · 14
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Palivoda
Palivoda 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
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-11 bearers (-9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,840 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-9.5%) | Down 9,840 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 Palivoda 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 | #152,989 | -6.9% |
| Count | 116 | 105 | -9.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Palivoda bearers went from 116 to 105 (-9.5% change). The surname moved down 9,840 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #152,989.
FAQ
Palivoda surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Palivoda?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Palivoda. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Palivoda?
Palivoda ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Palivoda. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Palivoda.
Has Palivoda become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Palivoda went from 116 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Palivoda?
Among Census respondents with the surname Palivoda, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.3%) and Black (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 Palivoda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.7% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Palivoda appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.7%), Hispanic (13.3%), Black (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 Palivoda (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 Palivoda mean?
A surname derived from the Slavic words for "burn" and "water", possibly referring to an occupation. 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 Palivoda (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 Palivoda?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.