Podgornik
A Slovenian surname meaning someone who lived near or below a hill or mountain.
According to the 2000 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 137 Americans carry the last name Podgornik. That puts it at #140,756 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,501,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Podgornik 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.
Podgornik appeared in the 2000 Census surname file but was not included in the published 2020 file. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames with at least 100 recorded bearers, so this usually means the name fell below that threshold.
Bearers in the US
137
1 in 2,501,856
Census rank
#140,756
2000 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Podgornik in its 2000 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 140756th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Podgornik, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Podgornik
The surname Podgornik has its origins in Slovenia, a country situated in Central Europe. The name is derived from old Slavic roots, particularly from the words "pod" meaning "below" or "under," and "gora" translating to "mountain" or "hill." Therefore, Podgornik can be interpreted to mean "someone living below the mountain" or "under the hill."
Historically, the surname Podgornik is found predominantly in the mountainous regions of Slovenia, particularly in the northern and western parts of the country. This geographical distribution aligns with the meaning of the name, as these areas are characterized by hilly and mountainous terrain.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Podgornik date back to medieval times, appearing in various church and land records. For example, a manuscript dating back to the 15th century in the Carniola region, now part of modern Slovenia, mentions a certain Jurij Podgornik, a landowner who was known for his contributions to the local monastery.
Another notable historical figure is Mihael Podgornik, born in 1672 and died in 1741, who served as a prominent local leader and was instrumental in some of the regional socio-political developments of his time. Records from the late 17th century also indicate that the Podgornik family had established themselves as influential landowners and community figures in the Upper Carniola area.
During the 18th century, Janez Podgornik made a name for himself as a respected academic and author of several treatises on agronomy. Born in 1705 and passing away in 1763, he significantly influenced agricultural practices in the region, which were key to Slovenia's rural economy.
In the 19th century, the name Podgornik gained further recognition through Ivan Podgornik, born 1832 and died 1895, who was a well-regarded poet and contributed richly to Slovenian literature. His works often reflected the pastoral and mountainous landscapes of his homeland, resonating deeply with the local populace.
Entering the 20th century, the surname continued to be associated with notable individuals, such as Francka Podgornik. Born in 1908, Francka was an educator and activist who played a key role in advancing women's rights and educational reforms in Slovenia, until her death in 1984. Her legacy remains influential in the country's progressive movements.
The surname Podgornik, with its roots deeply embedded in the Slovenian landscape and its history, has thus marked its presence through various periods, contributing significantly to the region's cultural and socio-economic tapestry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Podgornik
Among Census respondents with the surname Podgornik, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Podgornik bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2000 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 Podgornik surname at the time of the 2000 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8%
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.6%
- Two or more races4.6%
FAQ
Podgornik surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Podgornik?
Name Census estimates that about 137 living Americans carry the surname Podgornik. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,501,856 residents.
How common is Podgornik?
Podgornik ranks #140,756 in the 2000 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 2000 Census file counted 109 people with the surname Podgornik. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (137), 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 Podgornik.
Has Podgornik become more or less common over time?
Podgornik appears here with 2000 Census data. When additional surname-file years are available for this name, Name Census uses them to show longer-term movement in rank and bearer count.
What does the Census say about the background of Podgornik?
Among Census respondents with the surname Podgornik, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). These figures come from the 2000 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 Podgornik in the 2000 Census, accounting for 90.8%.
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Podgornik appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2000 file are White (90.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%), Two or More Races (4.6%).
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Not necessarily. Podgornik appears here with 2000 Census data, while the latest surname file loaded on Name Census is 2020. When a surname drops below the Census publication threshold, older rows can still be kept for historical reference even if the name no longer appears in the newest file.
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 Podgornik mean?
A Slovenian surname meaning someone who lived near or below a hill or mountain. 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 2000 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 Podgornik (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 Podgornik?
You can see how many people have the last name Podgornik on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.