2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Volcko
A surname derived from a diminutive form of the Slavic personal name Vladimir.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Volcko. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Volcko 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Volcko in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Volcko, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Volcko
The surname Volcko is of Slavic origin, with roots tracing back to the regions of Poland and Slovakia in the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old Slavic word "volk," meaning "wolf." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for someone who exhibited wolf-like qualities or had some association with these animals.
During the Middle Ages, surnames were not as widespread or standardized as they are today. In the 13th and 14th centuries, records from the Polish and Slovak regions reveal various spellings of the name, such as Volczko, Wolcko, and Volchko. These variations likely reflect regional dialects and the influence of different scribes who recorded the name.
One of the earliest known references to the Volcko surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Regni Poloniae, a collection of historical documents from the Polish kingdom. In a record dated 1287, a knight named Volcko de Krakow is mentioned, suggesting that the name was present in the city of Krakow and its surrounding areas during that time.
In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the Volcko surname was Jan Volcko, a Polish scholar and theologian born around 1435 in the town of Poznan. He studied at the University of Krakow and later became a professor of theology, contributing to the intellectual and religious discourse of his era.
Another individual of note was Andrzej Volcko, a Polish merchant and trader who lived in the late 16th century. Historical records indicate that he was involved in the lucrative trade routes between Poland and the Baltic regions, facilitating the exchange of goods and building a successful mercantile business.
In the 17th century, the Volcko surname appears in records from the Slovak region, where a family of that name owned land and estates near the town of Liptovský Mikuláš. One of their descendants, Michal Volcko, was a prominent figure in the local community, serving as a magistrate and participating in regional governance during the late 1600s.
Towards the end of the 18th century, a Polish nobleman named Stefan Volcko gained recognition for his military service. Born in 1756, he fought in various campaigns against foreign invaders and was awarded honors for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
While the Volcko surname may not be as widely known today, its origins and historical presence in Central and Eastern Europe contribute to the rich tapestry of Slavic culture and heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Volcko
Among Census respondents with the surname Volcko, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Volcko 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 Volcko surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 101
- Two or more races4.5% · 5
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Volcko
Volcko 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
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+11 bearers (+11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,310 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+11.0%) | Up 12,310 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 Volcko 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 | #160,975 | #148,665 | 7.6% |
| Count | 100 | 111 | 11.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 23.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Volcko bearers went from 100 to 111 (+11.0% change). The surname moved up 12,310 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #148,665.
FAQ
Volcko surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Volcko?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Volcko. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Volcko?
Volcko ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Volcko. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Volcko.
Has Volcko become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Volcko went from 100 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 11 (+11.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Volcko?
Among Census respondents with the surname Volcko, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Black (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 Volcko in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Volcko appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Two or More Races (4.5%), Black (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 Volcko (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 Volcko mean?
A surname derived from a diminutive form of the Slavic personal name Vladimir. 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 Volcko (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 surname Volcko?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.