2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Skomra
A Polish surname derived from the word "skomorokh" referring to an itinerant entertainer or jester.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Skomra. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Skomra 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Skomra in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Skomra, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Skomra
The surname Skomra originated in Poland, likely emerging in the 16th or 17th century. It is derived from the Polish word "skomra," which means a jester, minstrel, or entertainer. This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname or occupational surname to individuals who worked as jesters, musicians, or performers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Skomra can be found in the records of the Polish town of Plock, where a Marcin Skomra was documented in 1608. The name also appears in various historical records from other regions of Poland, such as the Krakow area and the Silesian region.
In the 18th century, the Skomra name was associated with the village of Skomra, located in the Masovian Voivodeship of central Poland. This village may have been named after an individual bearing the Skomra surname or vice versa, reflecting the close connection between surnames and place names in many parts of Europe.
Among notable historical figures with the surname Skomra, one can mention Józef Skomra (1801-1876), a Polish priest and writer who authored several religious works. Another individual of note was Andrzej Skomra (1904-1983), a Polish actor and theater director who gained recognition for his roles in various stage productions and films during the mid-20th century.
Other individuals bearing the Skomra surname included Tomasz Skomra (1790-1856), a Polish landowner and businessman known for his agricultural ventures, and Wacław Skomra (1909-1944), a Polish soldier who fought against the German occupation during World War II and was executed by Nazi forces.
Historically, variations in the spelling of the Skomra surname have been documented, such as Skomra, Skomro, and Skomra-Szmigielski, reflecting regional linguistic variations and the occasional combination of surnames through marriage or other means.
Overall, the surname Skomra has its roots in Polish history and cultural traditions, reflecting the diverse occupations and backgrounds of those who bore this name throughout the centuries. Its connection to the arts and entertainment, as well as its association with specific regions and places, contribute to the rich tapestry of Polish family names and their enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Skomra
Among Census respondents with the surname Skomra, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Skomra 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 Skomra surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 105
- Two or more races6.1% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Skomra
Skomra 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+8 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,383 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,355 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.3%) | Down 1,383 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 5,355 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 Skomra 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 | #141,140 | #146,495 | -3.8% |
| Count | 118 | 114 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Skomra bearers went from 118 to 114 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 5,355 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #146,495.
FAQ
Skomra surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Skomra?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Skomra. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Skomra?
Skomra ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Skomra. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Skomra.
Has Skomra become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Skomra went from 118 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Skomra?
Among Census respondents with the surname Skomra, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (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 Skomra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Skomra appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Two or More Races (6.1%), Hispanic (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 Skomra (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 Skomra mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "skomorokh" referring to an itinerant entertainer or jester. 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 Skomra (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 Skomra?
Want to know how common the surname Skomra is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.