2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Rakov
A surname indicating a person from the village of Rakovo.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Rakov. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rakov 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Rakov in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rakov, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rakov
The surname Rakov is of Russian origin, with its roots dating back to the 15th century. Initially, the name was derived from the Russian word "rak," which means "crab" or "cancer." It is believed that the name was initially given as a nickname to someone who displayed crab-like characteristics or had a particular physical resemblance to the crustacean.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Rakov surname can be found in the Veliky Novgorod region of Russia, where it appeared in various forms, such as Rakovich and Rakovets. These variations were likely due to the addition of patronymic suffixes, which were common in Russian naming traditions at the time.
In the 16th century, the Rakov surname gained prominence when it was mentioned in the Pistsovye Knigi, a series of Russian cadastral books that documented land ownership and taxation records. These books provide valuable insight into the geographic distribution of the surname, indicating that it was prevalent in areas such as Tver, Yaroslavl, and Vologda.
Among the notable historical figures bearing the Rakov surname is Ivan Rakov, a prominent Russian merchant who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was known for his extensive trade networks and played a crucial role in the economic development of the Russian Empire during that period.
Another figure of note is Grigory Rakov (1670-1735), a Russian scholar and translator who made significant contributions to the dissemination of knowledge in Russia. He was instrumental in translating numerous works from Latin and Greek into Russian, thereby facilitating the exchange of ideas and cultural understanding.
In the 19th century, the Rakov surname gained further recognition with the birth of Nikolai Rakov (1825-1891), a prominent Russian artist known for his landscape paintings. His works captured the scenic beauty of Russia's rural landscapes and were widely celebrated for their attention to detail and vivid depictions of nature.
The name Rakov also has ties to the literary world, with the famous Russian author Fyodor Rakov (1870-1932) making a significant impact on the country's literary scene. His novels and short stories explored themes of social injustice, poverty, and the struggles of the working class, earning him critical acclaim and a dedicated readership.
It is worth noting that the Rakov surname has also been associated with various place names throughout Russia, such as the village of Rakovo in the Ryazan region and the town of Rakovo-Seltsо in the Lipetsk region. These place names may have influenced the surname's evolution and distribution over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rakov
Among Census respondents with the surname Rakov, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Rakov 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 Rakov surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rakov
Rakov 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
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 3,052 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 3,052 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 Rakov 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 | #157,234 | #154,182 | 1.9% |
| Count | 103 | 103 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 14.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rakov bearers went from 103 to 103 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 3,052 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #154,182.
FAQ
Rakov surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rakov?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Rakov. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Rakov?
Rakov ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Rakov. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Rakov.
Has Rakov become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rakov went from 103 recorded bearers to 103. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Rakov?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rakov, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Rakov in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rakov appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (3.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Rakov (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 Rakov mean?
A surname indicating a person from the village of Rakovo. 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 Rakov (0.03 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 Rakov?
Find out how many people have the last name Rakov on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.