2010
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Smykla
Polish surname derived from a nickname for someone with a slender or slim build.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Smykla. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Smykla 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Smykla in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Smykla, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Smykla
The surname SMYKLA is of Polish origin, originating in the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Polish word "smyk", which means a young boy or a youth. This suggests that the name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was young or had a youthful appearance.
The earliest recorded instances of the SMYKLA surname can be found in historical records from the region of Galicia, which was part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at the time. This area is now divided between modern-day Poland and Ukraine.
In the 17th century, the SMYKLA name appeared in the parish records of the town of Tarnów, located in southern Poland. One notable individual from this era was Jan SMYKLA, a landowner and local dignitary who lived from 1620 to 1691.
During the 18th century, the SMYKLA family gained prominence in the city of Kraków, which was then the capital of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. A successful merchant named Maciej SMYKLA (1735-1812) was known for his philanthropic activities and support of local churches and charities.
As the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth underwent partitions in the late 18th century, many SMYKLA families migrated to other regions of Europe. One such individual was Wojciech SMYKLA (1778-1853), who settled in the Prussian-controlled region of Silesia and became a respected lawyer and judge.
In the 19th century, the SMYKLA name can be found in various parts of the Austrian Empire, including the regions of Galicia and Bukovina. Notable individuals from this period include the writer and poet Zofia SMYKLA (1825-1899), who was born in Lwów (now Lviv, Ukraine).
As the 20th century dawned, the SMYKLA name spread further across Europe and beyond. One prominent figure was the Polish-American engineer and inventor Stanisław SMYKLA (1892-1971), who made significant contributions to the development of early television technology.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Smykla
Among Census respondents with the surname Smykla, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Smykla 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 Smykla surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 5
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Smykla
Smykla 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
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,484 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 4,484 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 Smykla 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 | #138,304 | #142,788 | -3.2% |
| Count | 121 | 119 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Smykla bearers went from 121 to 119 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 4,484 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #142,788.
FAQ
Smykla surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Smykla?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Smykla. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Smykla?
Smykla ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Smykla. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Smykla.
Has Smykla become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Smykla went from 121 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Smykla?
Among Census respondents with the surname Smykla, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Smykla in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Smykla appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (4.2%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Smykla (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 Smykla mean?
Polish surname derived from a nickname for someone with a slender or slim build. 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 Smykla (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 Smykla?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Smykla on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.