2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ranka
A Croatian surname derived from a term meaning "forearm".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Ranka. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ranka 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Ranka in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ranka, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 62.5%. The next largest groups are White (30.0%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ranka
The surname RANKA is of Croatian origin, deriving from the Slavic root word "rank" which means "early" or "morning." The name first emerged in the 14th century in the coastal regions of Dalmatia and the Croatian Littoral.
RANKA is believed to have been a nickname or descriptive surname initially given to individuals who were known for their early rising habits or those who were particularly active in the morning hours. It may have also been used to refer to someone who lived in an area known for its early morning fog or dew.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name RANKA can be found in a 1389 document from the city of Zadar, where a person named Ivan Ranka is mentioned as a witness in a legal proceeding. This document is preserved in the archives of the Zadar Cathedral.
In the 15th century, the surname RANKA can be found in records from the town of Senj, where a prominent family with this name resided. The Ranka family of Senj was involved in maritime trade and held positions of influence within the local government.
A notable figure with the surname RANKA was Mihovil Ranka (1625-1701), a Croatian poet and playwright who was born in Dubrovnik. His works, written in the Baroque style, contributed significantly to the development of Croatian literature during the 17th century.
Another historical figure bearing the RANKA surname was Ivan Ranka (1790-1857), a Croatian lawyer and politician from Rijeka. He played a crucial role in the Croatian National Revival movement and was a staunch advocate for the preservation of Croatian language and culture.
In the 19th century, the surname RANKA was also found in various regions of present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina, indicating that the name had spread beyond its original Croatian homeland.
Some notable people with the surname RANKA from more recent history include Ante Ranka (1868-1946), a Croatian painter and sculptor known for his religious artwork, and Mila Ranka (1923-2002), a Serbian actress who appeared in numerous films and television productions.
While the surname RANKA is not among the most common Croatian surnames today, it has a rich history deeply rooted in the coastal regions of Croatia and the broader Slavic cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ranka
Among Census respondents with the surname Ranka, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 62.5%. The next largest groups are White (30.0%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Ranka 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 Ranka surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander62.5% · 75
- White30.0% · 36
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 4
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ranka
Ranka 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
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+13 bearers (+12.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,579 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+12.1%) | Up 10,579 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 Ranka 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 | #152,628 | #142,049 | 6.9% |
| Count | 107 | 120 | 12.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ranka bearers went from 107 to 120 (+12.1% change). The surname moved up 10,579 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #142,049.
FAQ
Ranka surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ranka?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Ranka. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Ranka?
Ranka ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Ranka. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Ranka.
Has Ranka become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ranka went from 107 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 13 (+12.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Ranka?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ranka, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 62.5%. The next largest groups are White (30.0%) and Hispanic (3.3%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ranka in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.5% (75 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ranka appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (62.5%), White (30.0%), Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Ranka (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 Ranka mean?
A Croatian surname derived from a term meaning "forearm". 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 Ranka (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 Ranka?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Ranka, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.