2000
#11,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,612
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.97
Rare Last name
Straka
A Czech and Slovak toponymic surname derived from the word "straka," meaning "magpie," likely referring to someone living near magpies.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,720 Americans carry the last name Straka. That puts it at #12,479 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 126,013 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Straka 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
2.7K
1 in 126,013
Census rank
#12,479
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,372 bearers of the surname Straka in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12479th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Straka, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Straka
The surname Straka is of Slavic origin, specifically from the Czech Republic and surrounding regions. It likely originated in the 14th or 15th century, derived from the Czech word "straka" meaning a magpie bird. This was likely a nickname given to someone with black and white hair or clothing resembling the bird's plumage.
One of the earliest known references to the surname Straka can be found in the Moravian Land Tables, a record of landowners and nobility in the region of Moravia, dating back to the late 15th century. These records mention several individuals with the surname Straka, indicating that the name was well-established by that time.
In the 16th century, the surname Straka appeared in various church records and town chronicles across what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Notable individuals from this era include Jan Straka (1516-1588), a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Kutná Hora, and Matěj Straka (1545-1612), a respected scholar and rector of the University of Prague.
Over the centuries, variations in spelling emerged, such as Stracka, Straczka, and Strachka, reflecting regional dialects and scribal variations. The surname was also found in areas of modern-day Poland and Germany, likely due to migration and intermarriage.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Straka in a prominent position was Karel Straka (1678-1743), a Czech nobleman and military commander who served in the Imperial Austrian Army during the War of the Spanish Succession. Another notable figure was Jan Straka (1804-1888), a Czech physician and author who wrote extensively on medicine and public health.
In the 19th century, the surname Straka was associated with several artists and intellectuals. Václav Straka (1818-1892) was a renowned Czech painter known for his landscapes and historical scenes. Josef Straka (1836-1912) was a celebrated composer and music teacher, while Antonín Straka (1857-1924) was a respected linguist and philologist who made significant contributions to the study of Slavic languages.
As the 20th century dawned, the Straka surname continued to be represented in various fields. Jaroslav Straka (1891-1970) was a prominent Czech architect who designed several notable buildings in Prague, while Vladimír Straka (1905-1980) was a respected mathematician and university professor.
Throughout its history, the surname Straka has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, from nobility and military leaders to artists, scholars, and professionals, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the Czech and Slavic regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Straka
Among Census respondents with the surname Straka, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Straka 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 Straka surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 2,229
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 72
- Two or more races1.8% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 24
- Black or African American0.1% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Straka
Straka 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
#10,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,013
+401 bearers (+15.4%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Up 513 places
2020
#12,479
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,372
-641 bearers (-21.3%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Down 1,851 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,141 | 2,612 | 0.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,628 | 3,013 | 1.02 | +401 bearers (+15.4%) | Up 513 places |
| 2020 | #12,479 | 2,372 | 0.79 | -641 bearers (-21.3%) | Down 1,851 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 Straka 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 | #10,628 | #12,479 | -17.4% |
| Count | 3,013 | 2,372 | -21.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.02 | 0.79 | -22.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Straka bearers went from 3,013 to 2,372 (-21.3% change). The surname moved down 1,851 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,628 to #12,479.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Straka
FAQ
Straka surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Straka?
Name Census estimates that about 2,720 living Americans carry the surname Straka. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 126,013 residents.
How common is Straka?
Straka ranks #12,479 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.79 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 2,372 people with the surname Straka. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,720), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.79 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 Straka.
Has Straka become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Straka went from 3,013 recorded bearers to 2,372. That is a decrease of 641 (-21.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,628 to #12,479.
What does the Census say about the background of Straka?
Among Census respondents with the surname Straka, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Straka in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (2,229 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Straka appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Straka (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 Straka mean?
A Czech and Slovak toponymic surname derived from the word "straka," meaning "magpie," likely referring to someone living near magpies. 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 Straka (0.79 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 Straka?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.