2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Podobnik
A surname meaning "similar" in Slavic languages.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Podobnik. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Podobnik 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Podobnik in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Podobnik, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Podobnik
The surname Podobnik originates from the Slavic regions of Central and Eastern Europe, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. The name is believed to have derived from the Slavic word "podobny," meaning "similar" or "resembling," possibly indicating a physical or personality trait shared by the family's ancestors.
One of the earliest known references to the Podobnik surname can be found in historical records from the 14th century in the region of modern-day Slovenia. These records mention a merchant named Ivan Podobnik, who traded goods along the Adriatic coast.
In the 15th century, the name appeared in various documents from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, where it was spelled as "Podobnik" or "Podomnyk." This variation suggests that the name may have originated from the Old Polish word "podobny," which carried a similar meaning to its Slavic counterpart.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Podobnik surname gained prominence in the Czech lands, particularly in the regions of Bohemia and Moravia. Historical records from this period mention several notable individuals bearing this name, such as Jan Podobnik (1560-1628), a renowned scholar and theologian who taught at the University of Prague.
In the 18th century, the Podobnik surname appeared in various Hungarian documents, indicating that families with this name had also settled in the territories of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. One notable figure from this period was Mihály Podobnik (1725-1795), a military officer who served in the Habsburg army during the reign of Maria Theresa.
As the 19th century dawned, the Podobnik name continued to spread across the Slavic regions, with families bearing this surname recorded in areas such as Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia. One notable individual from this era was Petar Podobnik (1820-1892), a Croatian writer and poet whose works celebrated the rich cultural heritage of the Balkans.
Throughout history, the Podobnik surname has been associated with various occupations and professions, including merchants, scholars, military personnel, and artists. While the name's precise origins may be shrouded in the mists of time, its enduring presence across the Slavic lands serves as a testament to the rich cultural tapestry of this region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Podobnik
Among Census respondents with the surname Podobnik, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Podobnik 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 Podobnik surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.5% · 104
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.7% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Podobnik
Podobnik 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
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-13 bearers (-11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 24,192 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+10 bearers (+10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,529 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | -13 bearers (-11.5%) | Down 24,192 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+10.0%) | Up 11,529 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 Podobnik 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 | #160,975 | #149,446 | 7.2% |
| Count | 100 | 110 | 10.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 22.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Podobnik bearers went from 100 to 110 (+10.0% change). The surname moved up 11,529 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #149,446.
FAQ
Podobnik surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Podobnik?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Podobnik. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Podobnik?
Podobnik ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Podobnik. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Podobnik.
Has Podobnik become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Podobnik went from 100 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 10 (+10.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Podobnik?
Among Census respondents with the surname Podobnik, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%) and Hispanic (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 Podobnik in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Podobnik appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%), Hispanic (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 Podobnik (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 Podobnik mean?
A surname meaning "similar" in Slavic languages. 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 Podobnik (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 share the surname Podobnik?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.