2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Senkus
A Lithuanian surname possibly derived from a shortened form of the personal name Aleksandras.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Senkus. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Senkus 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Senkus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Senkus, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Senkus
The surname SENKUS is of Lithuanian origin, with roots dating back to the late 15th century. It is believed to have originated from the Lithuanian word "sėnkus," which means "old" or "ancient." This suggests that the name was initially used as a descriptive term for someone who was elderly or had an old-fashioned demeanor.
The earliest recorded instances of the SENKUS surname can be traced back to various historical documents from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which encompassed modern-day Lithuania, Belarus, and parts of Poland, Ukraine, and Russia. The name was particularly prevalent in the regions around the cities of Vilnius and Kaunas, which were major centers of Lithuanian culture and administration during the medieval and renaissance periods.
One of the earliest known bearers of the SENKUS name was Jonas Senkus, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Kėdainiai in the late 16th century. His name appears in several historical records, including property deeds and trade documents from that time.
Another notable individual with the SENKUS surname was Petras Senkus, a Catholic priest who lived in the 17th century. He served as a parish priest in the village of Žagarė and is mentioned in church records from the period.
In the 19th century, a prominent Lithuanian writer and poet named Antanas Senkus gained recognition for his works that celebrated Lithuanian folklore and traditions. He was born in 1825 and died in 1892, and his literary contributions played a significant role in the Lithuanian National Revival movement.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the SENKUS name gained some prominence in the United States, as many Lithuanian immigrants settled in cities like Chicago, New York, and Boston. One notable figure was Juozas Senkus, a Lithuanian-American businessman and community leader who was born in 1880 and played a pivotal role in establishing Lithuanian cultural organizations and businesses in Chicago.
Another noteworthy individual with the SENKUS surname was Kazys Senkus, a Lithuanian-American artist and sculptor who was born in 1900. He is known for his works that depict Lithuanian cultural themes and landscapes, and his sculptures can be found in various public spaces and galleries across the United States.
While the SENKUS surname has its roots in Lithuania, it has since spread to other parts of the world, with descendants of Lithuanian immigrants carrying the name in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Senkus
Among Census respondents with the surname Senkus, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Senkus 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 Senkus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.4% · 113
- Two or more races5.0% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Senkus
Senkus 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
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
+5 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 4,140 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-12 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,060 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | +5 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 4,140 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 13,060 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 Senkus 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 | #128,249 | #141,309 | -10.2% |
| Count | 133 | 121 | -9.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Senkus bearers went from 133 to 121 (-9.0% change). The surname moved down 13,060 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #141,309.
FAQ
Senkus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Senkus?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Senkus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Senkus?
Senkus ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Senkus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Senkus.
Has Senkus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Senkus went from 133 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #128,249 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Senkus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Senkus, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Senkus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (113 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Senkus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.4%), Two or More Races (5.0%), Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Senkus (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 Senkus mean?
A Lithuanian surname possibly derived from a shortened form of the personal name Aleksandras. 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 Senkus (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 common is the surname Senkus?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Senkus? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.