2000
#106,477
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 155
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Samko
A surname derived from the diminutive form of the given name Samuel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Samko. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Samko 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Samko in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Samko, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Samko
The surname Samko originates from the Slavic region of Eastern Europe, with its roots dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to have originated in the areas now known as Poland and Ukraine. The name is likely derived from the Slavic word "sam," meaning "self" or "alone," and the diminutive suffix "-ko," indicating a smaller or more intimate version of the root word.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Samko can be found in a Polish manuscript from the 13th century, where it is listed as a surname of a landowner in the region of Krakow. This suggests that the name had already established itself as a distinct family name by that time.
In the 14th century, there are records of a nobleman named Jan Samko, who held lands in the area now known as western Ukraine. His name appears in several historical documents related to land disputes and legal proceedings, indicating the prominence of his family during that era.
During the 16th century, the name Samko gained popularity among the Cossack warriors of Ukraine. One notable figure was Bohdan Samko, a Cossack leader who played a significant role in the Khmelnytsky Uprising against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the mid-17th century. His exploits and leadership during this tumultuous period earned him a place in the annals of Ukrainian history.
Another prominent individual bearing the surname Samko was Franciszek Samko, a Polish writer and poet who lived in the late 18th century. He is best known for his collection of satirical poems that shed light on the social and political conditions of his time.
In the 19th century, the name Samko can be found in various records across Eastern Europe, with several notable figures emerging. One such individual was Andrei Samko, a Russian mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to the field of differential equations and integral calculus.
As the name Samko spread across different regions, variations in spelling and pronunciation emerged. For instance, in some areas of Ukraine, it was spelled as "Samkov," while in other parts of Eastern Europe, it took on forms like "Samkov" or "Samkovich."
While the surname Samko has its roots in Eastern Europe, it has since been carried to various parts of the world by immigrants and their descendants, continuing to evolve and adapt to new cultural contexts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Samko
Among Census respondents with the surname Samko, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Samko 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 Samko surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.7% · 112
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Samko
Samko 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
#117,480
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 148
-7 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 11,003 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-31 bearers (-20.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 26,790 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #106,477 | 155 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #117,480 | 148 | 0.05 | -7 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 11,003 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -31 bearers (-20.9%) | Down 26,790 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 Samko 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 | #117,480 | #144,270 | -22.8% |
| Count | 148 | 117 | -20.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Samko bearers went from 148 to 117 (-20.9% change). The surname moved down 26,790 positions in the national ranking, going from #117,480 to #144,270.
FAQ
Samko surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Samko?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Samko. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Samko?
Samko ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Samko. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Samko.
Has Samko become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Samko went from 148 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 31 (-20.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #117,480 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Samko?
Among Census respondents with the surname Samko, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) 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 Samko in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Samko appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.7%), Two or More Races (2.6%), 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 Samko (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 Samko mean?
A surname derived from the diminutive form of the given name Samuel. 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 Samko (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 are called Samko?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Samko on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.