2000
#123,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Vokac
A Czech surname derived from the word for 'ox', possibly referring to an occupation related to oxen or cattle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Vokac. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vokac 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Vokac in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vokac, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vokac
The surname Vokac originates from the Czech Republic, with its roots traceable back to the 13th century. The name is believed to have evolved from the Czech word "vok," which translates to "ox" or "bovine." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been associated with cattle-rearing or pastoral activities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Vokac surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus et Epistolaris Regni Bohemiae, a collection of historical documents from the medieval Kingdom of Bohemia, dated around 1270. The name appeared in various spellings, such as "Wokacz" and "Vokacze," reflecting the phonetic variations common during that era.
In the 14th century, the name Vokac appeared in the Liber Vetustissimus Archivi Civitatis Pragensis, an ancient record of the city of Prague. This document mentions a certain "Jan Vokac," who was a prominent citizen of the city during that time period.
One notable historical figure bearing the Vokac surname was Jan Vokac of Kamyk (1470-1542), a Czech nobleman and landowner who played a significant role in the Bohemian Reformation. He was a supporter of the Utraquist movement, which advocated for the distribution of both bread and wine during the Eucharist.
Another individual of note was Matej Vokac (1592-1648), a Czech priest and writer who authored several theological works and was a vocal advocate for the use of the Czech language in religious services during the Counter-Reformation.
In the 18th century, the name Vokac surfaced in the village of Vokace, located in the present-day South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It is believed that this village may have derived its name from the surname itself, suggesting a strong historical presence of the Vokac family in the area.
Frantisek Vokac (1805-1876) was a Czech writer and journalist who played a crucial role in the Czech National Revival movement. He was a prolific author and editor, contributing to the development of Czech literature and the preservation of the Czech language and culture.
Throughout the centuries, the Vokac surname has maintained a strong presence in various regions of the Czech Republic, with many individuals bearing this name making significant contributions to the cultural, literary, and religious spheres of their respective eras.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vokac
Among Census respondents with the surname Vokac, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Vokac 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 Vokac surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 121
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vokac
Vokac 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-18 bearers (-14.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,033 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+10 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,038 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #123,314 | 129 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-14.0%) | Down 25,033 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.0%) | Up 7,038 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 Vokac 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 | #148,347 | #141,309 | 4.7% |
| Count | 111 | 121 | 9.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vokac bearers went from 111 to 121 (+9.0% change). The surname moved up 7,038 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #141,309.
FAQ
Vokac surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vokac?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Vokac. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Vokac?
Vokac ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Vokac. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Vokac.
Has Vokac become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vokac went from 111 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 10 (+9.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Vokac?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vokac, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Vokac in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (121 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vokac appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Vokac (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 Vokac mean?
A Czech surname derived from the word for 'ox', possibly referring to an occupation related to oxen or cattle. 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 Vokac (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 share the surname Vokac?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.