2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pokoj
A Polish surname meaning "peace" or "tranquility".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Pokoj. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pokoj 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Pokoj in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pokoj, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.2%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pokoj
The surname POKOJ has its origins in Central Europe, specifically in Poland and the Czech Republic, dating back to the 14th century. It is derived from the Slavic word "pokoj," which means "peace" or "tranquility." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who were known for their peaceful or calm demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name POKOJ can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus et Epistolaris Regni Bohemiae," a collection of medieval documents from the Kingdom of Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic. In this collection, a certain "Petrus Pokoj" is mentioned in a document dated 1367, suggesting that the name was already in use during that time period.
In the 15th century, the name POKOJ appeared in various records from the region, including the "Akta grodzkie i ziemskie," a collection of court records from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. One notable example is Jan POKOJ, a landowner from the town of Krakow, who was mentioned in a land dispute case from 1472.
During the 16th century, the POKOJ surname gained further recognition, particularly in the Polish nobility. One notable individual was Stanisław POKOJ (1535-1607), a Polish nobleman and military commander who fought in various conflicts against the Ottoman Empire and the Swedes.
In the 17th century, the POKOJ name was also present in the Czech lands. One example is Václav POKOJ (1609-1679), a Czech priest and scholar who authored several works on theology and philosophy.
The 18th century saw the name POKOJ spread to other parts of Central Europe, such as Germany and Austria. One notable figure was Johann POKOJ (1720-1798), a German composer and organist who worked in the court of the Prince-Bishop of Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland).
As the POKOJ surname continued to evolve, it also gave rise to variations in spelling, such as POKÓJ, POKOY, and POKOIJ, reflecting the linguistic differences between Polish, Czech, and other Slavic languages.
Throughout history, several other notable individuals have carried the POKOJ surname, including:
1. Józef POKOJ (1810-1872), a Polish painter and author known for his landscape paintings and literary works.
2. Tomáš POKOJ (1856-1912), a Czech writer and journalist who contributed to the development of Czech journalism.
3. Maria POKOJ (1887-1966), a Polish-American social worker and activist who advocated for the rights of women and immigrants in the United States.
4. Jaroslav POKOJ (1926-2008), a Czech composer and conductor who wrote numerous orchestral and chamber works.
5. Zygmunt POKOJ (1941-2019), a Polish author and poet who explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition in his works.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pokoj
Among Census respondents with the surname Pokoj, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.2%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Pokoj 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 Pokoj surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 104
- Two or more races6.2% · 7
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pokoj
Pokoj 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
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-3 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,072 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 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 4,072 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 Pokoj 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 | #147,221 | -2.8% |
| Count | 116 | 113 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pokoj bearers went from 116 to 113 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 4,072 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #147,221.
FAQ
Pokoj surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pokoj?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Pokoj. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Pokoj?
Pokoj ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Pokoj. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Pokoj.
Has Pokoj become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pokoj went from 116 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Pokoj?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pokoj, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.2%) and Black (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 Pokoj in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pokoj appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Two or More Races (6.2%), Black (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 Pokoj (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 Pokoj mean?
A Polish surname meaning "peace" or "tranquility". 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 Pokoj (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 Pokoj?
You can see how many people have the surname Pokoj on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.