2010
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Trkulja
A Serbian surname possibly derived from the word "trka" meaning race or competition.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Trkulja. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Trkulja 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Trkulja in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Trkulja, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Trkulja
The surname Trkulja originates from the region of Dalmatia, situated along the Adriatic coast of what is now modern-day Croatia. Linguists trace its roots back to the early medieval period, when Slavic tribes migrated to the Balkan peninsula. The name likely derives from the Slavic word "trklja," which means "a small wooden log" or "a rolling pin."
Trkulja is a traditional Croatian surname found predominantly in the coastal regions of Dalmatia and the islands of the Adriatic Sea. Historical records indicate that the name was particularly prevalent in the areas around Split and the island of Brač, where it first appeared in written documents dating back to the 16th century.
One of the earliest known mentions of the Trkulja surname can be found in the archives of the Republic of Ragusa (present-day Dubrovnik), where a certain Nikola Trkulja was recorded as a resident of the city in 1578. Another notable early bearer of the name was Petar Trkulja, a merchant from the island of Brač, who was documented in commercial records from Venice in the early 17th century.
Throughout the centuries, the Trkulja surname has been associated with various notable individuals. One such figure was Ivan Trkulja (1711-1787), a renowned writer and poet who was born in the village of Selca on the island of Brač. His works, which included religious hymns and epic poems, were widely celebrated in the Dalmatian region during his lifetime.
Another prominent bearer of the Trkulja name was Ante Trkulja (1826-1892), a Catholic priest and educator who played a significant role in the establishment of schools and educational institutions in the city of Split and its surrounding areas. He is remembered for his efforts in promoting literacy and education among the local population.
In more recent history, Ante Trkulja (1921-1995), a renowned Croatian sculptor and artist, gained recognition for his monumental public works and sculptures that adorned various cities and public spaces throughout Croatia. His most famous works include the monument to the Croatian writer and poet Vladimir Nazor in Zagreb and the "Gusle" sculpture in Split.
The Trkulja surname has also been carried by several notable athletes, including Tonči Trkulja (born 1987), a former professional basketball player who represented Croatia in international competitions, and Nikola Trkulja (born 1992), a professional volleyball player who has played for various clubs in Croatia and abroad.
While the Trkulja surname is primarily found in Croatia, it has also spread to other parts of the world, particularly among Croatian diaspora communities in North America, Australia, and other regions with Croatian immigrant populations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Trkulja
Among Census respondents with the surname Trkulja, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Trkulja 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 Trkulja surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.6% · 108
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Trkulja
Trkulja 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
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,080 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 3,080 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 Trkulja 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 | #147,221 | -2.1% |
| Count | 115 | 113 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Trkulja bearers went from 115 to 113 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 3,080 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #147,221.
FAQ
Trkulja surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Trkulja?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Trkulja. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Trkulja?
Trkulja ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Trkulja. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Trkulja.
Has Trkulja become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Trkulja went from 115 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Trkulja?
Among Census respondents with the surname Trkulja, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Trkulja in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Trkulja appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.6%), Two or More Races (1.8%), Black (0.9%). 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 Trkulja (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 Trkulja mean?
A Serbian surname possibly derived from the word "trka" meaning race or competition. 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 Trkulja (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 Trkulja?
Find out how many people have the surname Trkulja on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.