2010
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pocza
A surname of Hungarian origin possibly derived from a word meaning "pond" or "pool."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Pocza. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pocza 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Pocza in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pocza, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pocza
The surname POCZA is of Polish origin, with its roots traced back to the 16th century. It was predominantly found in the regions of Lesser Poland and Silesia, which were part of the Kingdom of Poland at the time.
POCZA is believed to be derived from the Polish word "początek," meaning "beginning" or "origin." This suggests that the name might have been given to someone who was among the first settlers or pioneers in a particular area or village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the POCZA surname can be found in the Polish tax registers (known as "Rejestry Poborowe") from the late 16th century. These historical records often documented the names of landowners and taxpayers, providing valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of surnames during that period.
In the 17th century, the POCZA surname appeared in the records of the Catholic Church in the town of Krakow, which was a significant cultural and religious center in Poland. This indicates that families bearing this name were present in the urban areas as well as rural regions.
During the 18th century, a notable figure with the POCZA surname was Jan POCZA (1715-1789), a Polish nobleman and landowner from the Lublin region. He was known for his contributions to the local community and his involvement in regional affairs.
Another historical figure was Katarzyna POCZA (1765-1832), a renowned Polish writer and poet who gained recognition for her works exploring themes of love, nature, and patriotism. Her literary legacy has been celebrated and studied by scholars and literary enthusiasts alike.
In the 19th century, Stanisław POCZA (1820-1891) was a prominent Polish architect who designed several notable buildings in Warsaw, including the Staszic Palace, which is now a museum and cultural center.
The POCZA surname can also be found in historical records from other parts of Europe, such as Germany and Austria, suggesting that some members of the family might have migrated or settled in these regions over time.
It is worth noting that the spelling of the surname may have varied slightly in different regions or time periods, with variations like POCZKA or POCZEK being encountered in some historical documents.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pocza
Among Census respondents with the surname Pocza, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Pocza 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 Pocza surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.0% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pocza
Pocza 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
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-23 bearers (-18.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 19,233 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -23 bearers (-18.7%) | Down 19,233 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 Pocza 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 | #136,449 | #155,682 | -14.1% |
| Count | 123 | 100 | -18.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pocza bearers went from 123 to 100 (-18.7% change). The surname moved down 19,233 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #155,682.
FAQ
Pocza surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pocza?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Pocza. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Pocza?
Pocza ranks #155,682 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 100 people with the surname Pocza. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), 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 Pocza.
Has Pocza become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pocza went from 123 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 23 (-18.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Pocza?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pocza, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Two or More Races (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 Pocza in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.0% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pocza appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.0%), Hispanic (2.0%), Two or More Races (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 Pocza (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 Pocza mean?
A surname of Hungarian origin possibly derived from a word meaning "pond" or "pool." 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 Pocza (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 have the last name Pocza?
You can see how common the surname Pocza is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.