2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pojman
Possibly a variation of the German surname Buchmann, meaning a book seller or publisher.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Pojman. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pojman 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Pojman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pojman, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pojman
The surname Pojman is believed to have originated in the Czech Republic, with its roots dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Czech word "pojma," which means "to grasp" or "to seize." This suggests that the name may have been associated with someone who worked as a hunter or a soldier, perhaps referring to their ability to capture or seize prey or enemies.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Pojman surname can be found in the historical records of the town of Plzeň, located in the western region of Bohemia, in the Czech Republic. These records date back to the late 1500s and mention several individuals with the surname Pojman residing in the area.
During the 17th century, the Pojman name began to spread across other regions of the Czech lands, particularly in the areas surrounding Prague and Brno. Some notable individuals from this period include Jan Pojman (1612-1687), a respected scholar and theologian who taught at the University of Prague, and Václav Pojman (1643-1721), a prominent architect responsible for designing several churches and monasteries in the Baroque style.
As the Pojman family continued to grow and disperse throughout the Czech Republic and neighboring regions, the surname also underwent various spelling variations, such as Pojmann, Poyman, and Poijman. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and local scribes' interpretations of the name.
In the 19th century, the Pojman surname gained further recognition with the birth of Karel Pojman (1826-1899), a celebrated Czech painter known for his landscapes and genre scenes. His works were widely exhibited and celebrated during his lifetime, and they can still be found in several prestigious art collections throughout Europe.
Another notable figure bearing the Pojman surname was Josef Pojman (1879-1945), a Czech composer and conductor who made significant contributions to the development of Czech classical music. His compositions, which included operas, symphonies, and chamber works, were widely performed and acclaimed both in his home country and abroad.
While the Pojman surname has its origins in the Czech Republic, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration patterns. However, its rich historical roots and cultural significance remain deeply rooted in the Czech lands, where it has been a part of the region's heritage for several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pojman
Among Census respondents with the surname Pojman, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Pojman 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 Pojman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.4% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pojman
Pojman 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+9 bearers (+8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 67 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,540 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.9%) | Down 67 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 1,540 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 Pojman 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 | #149,395 | #150,935 | -1.0% |
| Count | 110 | 108 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pojman bearers went from 110 to 108 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 1,540 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #150,935.
FAQ
Pojman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pojman?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Pojman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Pojman?
Pojman ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Pojman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Pojman.
Has Pojman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pojman went from 110 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Pojman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pojman, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Pojman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pojman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.4%), Hispanic (3.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Pojman (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 Pojman mean?
Possibly a variation of the German surname Buchmann, meaning a book seller or publisher. 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 Pojman (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 are called Pojman?
See how many people are called Pojman on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.