2000
#13,233
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.78
Rare Last name
Rada
A Romanian surname derived from the word "radă," meaning "a person with curly hair."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,525 Americans carry the last name Rada. That puts it at #13,272 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 135,744 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rada 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
2.5K
1 in 135,744
Census rank
#13,272
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,202 bearers of the surname Rada in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13272nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rada, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (37.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (8.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rada
The surname "RADA" is believed to have originated in the Balkan region of Southeastern Europe, specifically in modern-day Croatia and Serbia. It likely derives from the Slavic word "rad," meaning "glad" or "joyful," suggesting that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname or occupational name for someone with a cheerful or pleasant demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "RADA" can be found in medieval Croatian records from the 13th century, where it appeared as "Rada" or "Radić." These early mentions often referred to individuals from the region around the city of Dubrovnik, which was a prominent maritime republic at the time.
In the 14th century, the name "RADA" was also documented in Serbian records, particularly in the region of Vojvodina, which was then part of the Kingdom of Hungary. The name appeared in various forms, such as "Rada," "Radić," and "Radojević," indicating its widespread use among Serbs.
During the Ottoman period, the name "RADA" continued to be prevalent in the Balkans, particularly in areas under Ottoman rule. Some notable historical figures with this surname include:
1. Miloš Rada (1558-1628), a Serbian Orthodox priest and writer who authored several religious texts and translations.
2. Pavle Rada (1827-1890), a Serbian painter and one of the pioneers of Serbian Realist painting.
3. Jovan Rada (1826-1905), a Serbian politician and writer who served as the Minister of Education and Church Affairs in the Kingdom of Serbia.
As the Balkans underwent various political and cultural changes throughout history, the name "RADA" spread to other regions, including parts of modern-day Romania and Hungary. In some areas, the name evolved into slightly different spellings, such as "Radă" or "Radó."
One notable individual with this surname from a different region was Konstantin Rada (1770-1808), a Romanian painter and engraver who is considered one of the founders of modern Romanian art.
While the name "RADA" has its roots in the Balkans, it has since become more widespread and can be found in various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins and earliest recorded instances trace back to the Slavic-speaking populations of Southeastern Europe, where it has a long and rich history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rada
Among Census respondents with the surname Rada, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (37.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (8.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Rada 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 Rada surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White51.0% · 1,124
- Hispanic or Latino37.1% · 817
- Asian and Pacific Islander8.0% · 176
- Two or more races2.9% · 63
- Black or African American0.7% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rada
Rada 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
#12,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,520
+405 bearers (+19.1%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Up 894 places
2020
#13,272
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,202
-318 bearers (-12.6%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 933 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,233 | 2,115 | 0.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,339 | 2,520 | 0.85 | +405 bearers (+19.1%) | Up 894 places |
| 2020 | #13,272 | 2,202 | 0.74 | -318 bearers (-12.6%) | Down 933 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 Rada 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 | #12,339 | #13,272 | -7.6% |
| Count | 2,520 | 2,202 | -12.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.74 | -13.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rada bearers went from 2,520 to 2,202 (-12.6% change). The surname moved down 933 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,339 to #13,272.
FAQ
Rada surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rada?
Name Census estimates that about 2,525 living Americans carry the surname Rada. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 135,744 residents.
How common is Rada?
Rada ranks #13,272 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,202 people with the surname Rada. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,525), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Rada.
Has Rada become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rada went from 2,520 recorded bearers to 2,202. That is a decrease of 318 (-12.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,339 to #13,272.
What does the Census say about the background of Rada?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rada, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (37.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (8.0%). 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 Rada in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.0% (1,124 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rada appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (51.0%), Hispanic (37.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (8.0%). 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 Rada (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 Rada mean?
A Romanian surname derived from the word "radă," meaning "a person with curly hair." 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 Rada (0.74 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 surname Rada?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.