2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ralko
Polish surname derived from the Polish word "ralec" meaning "farmer" or "farmhand".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Ralko. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ralko 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Ralko in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ralko, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ralko
The surname Ralko is of Polish origin, with its roots tracing back to the 15th century. This name is believed to have derived from the Polish word "rolnik," which means "farmer" or "cultivator." It suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname were likely involved in agricultural pursuits.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ralko surname can be found in the historic town of Krakow, where a family by this name was documented in the 16th century. The name's spelling has evolved over time, with variants such as Ralka, Ralko, and Ralkov appearing in various regions of Poland.
During the 17th century, the Ralko surname gained prominence in the Polish nobility. Notably, Jan Ralko (1620-1689) was a prominent landowner and military commander who fought in several battles against Swedish and Ottoman forces. His bravery and leadership earned him a distinguished reputation among his contemporaries.
In the 18th century, the Ralko family expanded their influence, with members holding positions of authority in various Polish cities and towns. One such individual was Tomasz Ralko (1745-1812), a respected jurist and legal scholar who served as a magistrate in the city of Poznan.
As the 19th century dawned, the Ralko surname continued to be associated with notable figures. Stanislaw Ralko (1805-1878) was a renowned architect who played a significant role in the reconstruction efforts following the devastating fires that ravaged Warsaw in the early 1800s.
Another prominent individual bearing the Ralko surname was Aleksandra Ralko (1870-1942), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded several schools in Warsaw and campaigned tirelessly for equal educational opportunities for girls and women.
Throughout its history, the Ralko surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including farmers, soldiers, scholars, architects, and educators. While the name's origins can be traced back to the agricultural roots of its earliest bearers, it has since evolved to encompass a diverse range of professions and achievements.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ralko
Among Census respondents with the surname Ralko, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Ralko 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 Ralko surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 98
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ralko
Ralko 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
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-7 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 1,362 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 1,362 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 Ralko 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 | #154,907 | #156,269 | -0.9% |
| Count | 105 | 98 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ralko bearers went from 105 to 98 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 1,362 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #156,269.
FAQ
Ralko surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ralko?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Ralko. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Ralko?
Ralko ranks #156,269 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 98 people with the surname Ralko. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), 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 Ralko.
Has Ralko become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ralko went from 105 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #154,907 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Ralko?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ralko, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Ralko in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ralko appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Ralko (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 Ralko mean?
Polish surname derived from the Polish word "ralec" meaning "farmer" or "farmhand". 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 Ralko (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 are called Ralko?
You can see how many people have the last name Ralko on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.