2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Smykal
A Ukrainian surname likely deriving from the word smykaty, meaning to drag or trail.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Smykal. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Smykal 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Smykal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Smykal, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Black (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Smykal
The surname Smykal has its origins in the Czech Republic, dating back to the early 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Czech word "smykat," which means "to drag" or "to pull." This suggests that the name may have been associated with a particular occupation or trade involving dragging or pulling, such as a carter or a teamster.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Smykal can be traced back to a document from the town of Pilsen in 1528, where a certain Jan Smykal is mentioned. This suggests that the name had already been in use for some time before this date.
In the 17th century, the name Smykal appears in various historical records from the region of Bohemia, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire. One notable mention is in the parish records of the town of Litomerice, where a family by the name of Smykal is listed as residing in the area.
The 18th century saw the name Smykal spreading to other parts of the Czech lands, as well as neighboring regions such as Silesia and Moravia. During this time, variations of the spelling, such as Smykal, Smykala, and Smykalová, began to emerge.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Smykal was Jan Smykal (1625-1688), a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Nove Mesto nad Metuji. Another notable figure was Vaclav Smykal (1715-1792), a renowned clockmaker and inventor from Prague.
In the 19th century, the Smykal name continued to be found throughout the Czech lands, with individuals bearing this surname residing in various towns and villages. One notable example is Frantisek Smykal (1818-1891), a respected educator and author who wrote several books on Czech grammar and literature.
Another significant figure was Josef Smykal (1855-1924), a prominent architect who designed several important buildings in Prague, including the National Museum and the New Town Hall.
As the Smykal family spread across the Czech lands and beyond, the name took on various spellings and variations, reflecting the local dialects and linguistic influences of different regions. However, the core meaning and origins of the name remained rooted in the Czech language and the historical traditions of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Smykal
Among Census respondents with the surname Smykal, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Black (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Smykal 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 Smykal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- Black or African American2.6% · 3
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Smykal
Smykal appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+7 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,424 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.4%) | Up 5,424 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 Smykal 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 | #150,452 | #145,028 | 3.6% |
| Count | 109 | 116 | 6.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Smykal bearers went from 109 to 116 (+6.4% change). The surname moved up 5,424 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #145,028.
FAQ
Smykal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Smykal?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Smykal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Smykal?
Smykal ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Smykal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Smykal.
Has Smykal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Smykal went from 109 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 7 (+6.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Smykal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Smykal, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Black (2.6%). 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 Smykal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Smykal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Hispanic (4.3%), Black (2.6%). 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 Smykal (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 Smykal mean?
A Ukrainian surname likely deriving from the word smykaty, meaning to drag or trail. 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 Smykal (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 last name Smykal?
Find out how many people have the last name Smykal on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.