2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tyrka
A Polish surname derived from the word "turek" meaning a Turk, likely referring to someone with Turkish ancestry or ties.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Tyrka. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tyrka 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Tyrka in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tyrka, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tyrka
The surname Tyrka has its origins in Poland, with records of the name dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Polish word "tyr," meaning a type of fermented milk or cheese similar to cottage cheese. The name likely originated as a occupational surname for someone who produced or sold this dairy product.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tyrka can be found in a Polish census record from the town of Krakow in 1587, where a Jan Tyrka was listed as a cheesemaker. The name also appears in various parish records and church documents from the 16th and 17th centuries in regions such as Silesia and Lesser Poland.
In the 18th century, a notable individual with the surname Tyrka was Andrzej Tyrka (1720-1798), a Polish priest and historian who authored several works on the history of the Catholic Church in Poland. Another historical figure was Stanisław Tyrka (1795-1867), a Polish military officer who fought in the November Uprising against Russian rule.
The 19th century saw the name Tyrka continue to be prevalent in various regions of Poland. One noteworthy individual was Kazimierz Tyrka (1831-1901), a prominent Polish lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Galician Diet and the Imperial Council in Vienna.
In the early 20th century, the name Tyrka can be found in records from the city of Łódź, where a Józef Tyrka (1876-1943) was a respected textile manufacturer and businessman. During this period, the name also appears in records from the Polish communities in the United States, as many Poles immigrated to America in search of better economic opportunities.
Another individual of note was Jerzy Tyrka (1915-1944), a Polish soldier and member of the Armia Krajowa (Polish Home Army) who fought against the Nazi German occupation during World War II. He was executed by the Gestapo in 1944 for his involvement in the Polish resistance movement.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tyrka
Among Census respondents with the surname Tyrka, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Tyrka 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 Tyrka surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.1% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tyrka
Tyrka 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
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,055 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 3,055 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 Tyrka 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 | #156,044 | #152,989 | 2.0% |
| Count | 104 | 105 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tyrka bearers went from 104 to 105 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 3,055 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #152,989.
FAQ
Tyrka surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tyrka?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Tyrka. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Tyrka?
Tyrka ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Tyrka. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Tyrka.
Has Tyrka become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tyrka went from 104 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 1 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Tyrka?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tyrka, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Tyrka in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.1% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tyrka appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.1%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Tyrka (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 Tyrka mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "turek" meaning a Turk, likely referring to someone with Turkish ancestry or ties. 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 Tyrka (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 Tyrka?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Tyrka at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.