Find out how popular the last name Votava is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Votava.

Votava, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Votava surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Votava in America

Votava is the 35203rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Votava surname appeared 640 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Votava.

We can also compare 2010 data for Votava to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Votava

The surname Votava is of Czech origin, originating from the region of Bohemia in the present-day Czech Republic. The name is believed to have emerged around the 13th or 14th century during the Middle Ages.

The name Votava is derived from the Old Czech word "votava," which means "willow tree" or "willow grove." It is likely that the surname was initially given to someone who lived near or had a connection to a willow tree or a willow grove area.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Votava can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus et Epistolaris Regni Bohemiae, a collection of historical documents from the Kingdom of Bohemia, dating back to the 14th century. The entry refers to a person named Votava, who was involved in a land transaction in the village of Libochovice.

Another early reference to the name Votava appears in the Liber Vetustissimus Archicathedralis Ecclesiae Pragensis, an ancient manuscript from the Archdiocese of Prague, which contains records from the late 14th century. Here, a person named Votava is listed as a witness to a legal proceeding.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Votava. One such person was Jan Votava (1805-1878), a Czech writer and journalist who played a significant role in the Czech National Revival movement of the 19th century.

Another notable Votava was Vojtěch Votava (1850-1926), a Czech painter and illustrator renowned for his depictions of historical events and scenes from Czech folklore.

In the realm of music, Karel Votava (1879-1944) was a Czech composer and conductor who composed several operas and orchestral works during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The name Votava has also been associated with various place names in the Czech Republic, such as the village of Votava in the Plzeň Region and the Votava River, a tributary of the Vltava River.

It is worth mentioning that the surname Votava has undergone some spelling variations over time, including Wotawa, Wottawa, and Wottava, reflecting the influence of different languages and dialects in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Votava

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Votava.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Votava was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Votava has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Votava was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Votava, please contact us.

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