2000
#11,012
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,649
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.98
Rare Last name
Timko
A Ukrainian surname derived from the given name Timofey, meaning "honoring God" or "honored by God."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,738 Americans carry the last name Timko. That puts it at #12,413 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 125,184 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Timko 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 125,184
Census rank
#12,413
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,388 bearers of the surname Timko in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12413th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Timko, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Timko
The surname TIMKO has its origins in the Slavic countries of Eastern Europe, particularly in regions that are now part of Slovakia, Poland, and Ukraine. It is believed to have emerged sometime in the late Middle Ages or early Renaissance period, around the 14th or 15th century.
The name TIMKO is a diminutive form derived from the Slavic personal name Timofei or Timotheus, which itself has Greek roots meaning "honoring God" or "honoring the deity." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have had religious or ecclesiastical connections.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the TIMKO surname can be found in a Polish church register from the village of Stara Uchańka, dating back to the late 16th century. Another early reference comes from the Austro-Hungarian Empire's census records in the region of Galicia, which was part of modern-day western Ukraine and southeastern Poland.
A notable figure in history who bore the TIMKO surname was Jan Timko, a Slovak writer and poet who lived from 1805 to 1885. He was a prominent figure in the Slovak national revival movement and authored several works that helped to preserve and promote the Slovak language and culture.
Another significant individual was Michal Timko, a Slovak priest and historian who lived from 1843 to 1921. He wrote extensively on the history of the Slovak people and played a crucial role in the preservation of historical documents and archives.
In the 20th century, a notable bearer of the TIMKO surname was Ivan Timko, a Ukrainian-American artist and illustrator who was born in 1924 and gained recognition for his work in the field of children's literature.
Moving beyond the Slavic regions, there are records of the TIMKO surname appearing in various parts of Europe and North America, likely due to migration and immigration patterns. For instance, a family by the name of Timko settled in the town of Woodridge, Illinois, in the late 19th century, where they established a successful agricultural business.
It is worth noting that variations in spelling and pronunciation of the TIMKO surname may have occurred over time and across different regions, with variations such as Tymko, Timkov, or Tymkov appearing in historical records. Additionally, some bearers of the name may have adopted alternative spellings or variations upon immigration to other countries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Timko
Among Census respondents with the surname Timko, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Timko 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 Timko surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 2,222
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 77
- Two or more races2.5% · 59
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 17
- Black or African American0.5% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Timko
Timko 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
#12,261
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,537
-112 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Down 1,249 places
2020
#12,413
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,388
-149 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 152 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,012 | 2,649 | 0.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,261 | 2,537 | 0.86 | -112 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 1,249 places |
| 2020 | #12,413 | 2,388 | 0.80 | -149 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 152 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 Timko 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 | #12,261 | #12,413 | -1.2% |
| Count | 2,537 | 2,388 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.86 | 0.80 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Timko bearers went from 2,537 to 2,388 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 152 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,261 to #12,413.
FAQ
Timko surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Timko?
Name Census estimates that about 2,738 living Americans carry the surname Timko. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 125,184 residents.
How common is Timko?
Timko ranks #12,413 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.80 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 2,388 people with the surname Timko. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,738), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.80 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 Timko.
Has Timko become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Timko went from 2,537 recorded bearers to 2,388. That is a decrease of 149 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,261 to #12,413.
What does the Census say about the background of Timko?
Among Census respondents with the surname Timko, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) 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 Timko in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (2,222 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Timko appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Hispanic (3.2%), 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 Timko (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 Timko mean?
A Ukrainian surname derived from the given name Timofey, meaning "honoring God" or "honored by God." 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 Timko (0.80 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 share the surname Timko?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.