2000
#36,956
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 569
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.21
Very Rare Last name
Votava
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly Czech or related to a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 736 Americans carry the last name Votava. That puts it at #37,317 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 465,699 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Votava 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
736
1 in 465,699
Census rank
#37,317
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
642
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 642 bearers of the surname Votava in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 37317th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Votava, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.2%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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mentions of the surname Votava can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus et Epistolaris Regni Bohemiae, a collection of historical documents from the Kingdom of Bohemia, dating back to the 14th century.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Votava
Among Census respondents with the surname Votava, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.2%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Votava 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 Votava surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.5% · 607
- Two or more races2.2% · 14
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 11
- Black or African American0.9% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Votava
Votava 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
#35,203
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 640
+71 bearers (+12.5%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Up 1,753 places
2020
#37,317
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 642
+2 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Down 2,114 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #36,956 | 569 | 0.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #35,203 | 640 | 0.22 | +71 bearers (+12.5%) | Up 1,753 places |
| 2020 | #37,317 | 642 | 0.21 | +2 bearers (+0.3%) | Down 2,114 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 Votava 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 | #35,203 | #37,317 | -6.0% |
| Count | 640 | 642 | 0.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.21 | -2.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Votava bearers went from 640 to 642 (+0.3% change). The surname moved down 2,114 positions in the national ranking, going from #35,203 to #37,317.
FAQ
Votava surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Votava?
Name Census estimates that about 736 living Americans carry the surname Votava. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 465,699 residents.
How common is Votava?
Votava ranks #37,317 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.21 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 642 people with the surname Votava. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (736), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.21 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 Votava.
Has Votava become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Votava went from 640 recorded bearers to 642. That is an increase of 2 (+0.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #35,203 to #37,317.
What does the Census say about the background of Votava?
Among Census respondents with the surname Votava, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.2%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Votava in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (607 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Votava appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.5%), Two or More Races (2.2%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Votava (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 Votava mean?
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly Czech or related to a place name. 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 Votava (0.21 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 Votava?
You can see how many people are called Votava on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.