2000
#13,144
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Simko
A Ukrainian surname derived from the given name Semen, which is a form of Simon, meaning "he has heard."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,377 Americans carry the last name Simko. That puts it at #13,934 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 144,196 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Simko 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
2.4K
1 in 144,196
Census rank
#13,934
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,073 bearers of the surname Simko in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13934th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Simko, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Simko
The surname Simko is believed to have originated in Slovakia, where it first appeared in the late 15th century. It is thought to be derived from the Slovak word "sim," which means "this" or "that," often used in a demonstrative sense. This suggests that the name may have been given as a descriptive nickname or reference to a specific person or location.
The earliest known record of the name Simko is found in a 1492 land registry document from the town of Košice, in what was then the Kingdom of Hungary. The document mentions a landowner named Ján Simko, who owned a small plot of land near the town center.
In the 16th century, the name Simko began to spread to other parts of Slovakia and neighboring regions, such as Moravia and Silesia. During this time, variations in spelling also emerged, including Simko, Simkó, and Simkov.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname Simko was Jánošík Simko (1688-1713), a Slovak outlaw and folk hero who robbed from the wealthy and gave to the poor. His exploits were widely celebrated in Slovak folklore and literature, and he became a symbol of resistance against oppressive rulers.
Another prominent individual with the Simko surname was Michal Simko (1824-1899), a Slovak politician and writer who played a significant role in the Slovak national revival movement of the 19th century. He advocated for the preservation of Slovak language and culture and was an influential figure in the promotion of Slovak nationalism.
In the 20th century, the name Simko continued to be found in various regions of Slovakia, as well as among Slovak diaspora communities around the world. One notable bearer of the name was Ján Simko (1915-1991), a Slovak painter and graphic artist known for his expressive and symbolic works depicting the Slovak countryside and rural life.
Other notable individuals with the surname Simko include Ján Simko (born 1953), a Slovak politician and former member of the National Council of the Slovak Republic, and Peter Simko (born 1961), a Slovak-American computer scientist and entrepreneur who co-founded the software company Citrix Systems.
Overall, the surname Simko has a rich history rooted in the Slovak language and culture, with notable bearers of the name leaving their mark in various fields, from folklore and literature to politics and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Simko
Among Census respondents with the surname Simko, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Simko 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 Simko surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.6% · 1,940
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 61
- Two or more races2.2% · 46
- Black or African American0.7% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Simko
Simko 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
#14,042
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,145
+12 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 898 places
2020
#13,934
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,073
-72 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Up 108 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,144 | 2,133 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,042 | 2,145 | 0.73 | +12 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 898 places |
| 2020 | #13,934 | 2,073 | 0.69 | -72 bearers (-3.4%) | Up 108 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 Simko 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 | #14,042 | #13,934 | 0.8% |
| Count | 2,145 | 2,073 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.69 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Simko bearers went from 2,145 to 2,073 (-3.4% change). The surname moved up 108 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,042 to #13,934.
FAQ
Simko surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Simko?
Name Census estimates that about 2,377 living Americans carry the surname Simko. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 144,196 residents.
How common is Simko?
Simko ranks #13,934 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,073 people with the surname Simko. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,377), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Simko.
Has Simko become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Simko went from 2,145 recorded bearers to 2,073. That is a decrease of 72 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,042 to #13,934.
What does the Census say about the background of Simko?
Among Census respondents with the surname Simko, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Simko in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (1,940 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Simko appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.6%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Simko (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 Simko mean?
A Ukrainian surname derived from the given name Semen, which is a form of Simon, meaning "he has heard." 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 Simko (0.69 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 Simko?
Want to know how common the surname Simko is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.