2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sloves
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "dweller from a slovi or slavic village".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Sloves. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sloves 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Sloves in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sloves, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sloves
The surname SLOVES has its origins in the Czech Republic, dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Czech word "slov," meaning "word" or "speech," suggesting that the name may have been associated with professions such as scribes, orators, or scholars.
During the Middle Ages, the SLOVES name was predominantly found in the regions of Bohemia and Moravia, which were part of the Kingdom of Bohemia. One of the earliest known records of the name appears in the Liber Vetustissimus, a medieval manuscript from the 14th century, which lists a certain "Jaromir SLOVES" among the citizens of Prague.
In the 16th century, the SLOVES family was mentioned in the Registra Novissima, a tax register for the city of Brno, located in the present-day Czech Republic. This document indicates that a family with the surname SLOVES owned a brewery in the city during that time period.
One notable figure bearing the SLOVES name was Jan SLOVES (1540-1612), a renowned Czech humanist scholar and author who wrote extensively on topics such as philosophy, theology, and linguistics. His works were widely read throughout Central Europe during the Renaissance.
Another important figure was Katerina SLOVES (1625-1694), a renowned herbalist and natural healer who practiced in the town of Chrudim. Her treatments and remedies were sought after by many in the region, and she was even consulted by members of the nobility.
In the 18th century, the SLOVES name appeared in connection with the town of Litomerice, located in northern Bohemia. Records from that period mention a family of vintners and winemakers by the name of SLOVES, who were known for producing high-quality wines that were exported throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The SLOVES surname has also been associated with several place names in the Czech Republic, such as the village of Slovesná, which roughly translates to "of words" or "of speech." This village was likely named after an early settler with the SLOVES surname.
Throughout history, the spelling of the name has varied slightly, with variations such as SLOVEZ, SLOWES, and SZLOVES appearing in various records and documents. However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained consistent, tracing back to the Old Czech word "slov" and its association with language, communication, and intellectual pursuits.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sloves
Among Census respondents with the surname Sloves, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Sloves 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 Sloves surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.7% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sloves
Sloves 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+12 bearers (+11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,954 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,616 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.7%) | Up 2,954 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 1,616 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 Sloves 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 | #144,141 | #145,757 | -1.1% |
| Count | 115 | 115 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sloves bearers went from 115 to 115 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 1,616 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #145,757.
FAQ
Sloves surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sloves?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Sloves. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Sloves?
Sloves ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Sloves. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Sloves.
Has Sloves become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sloves went from 115 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Sloves?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sloves, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Sloves in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sloves appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.7%), Hispanic (2.6%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Sloves (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 Sloves mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "dweller from a slovi or slavic village". 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 Sloves (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 surname Sloves?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.