2000
#54,522
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 354
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Votruba
Czech surname denoting someone from Votruby or a nearby resident.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 441 Americans carry the last name Votruba. That puts it at #57,177 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 777,221 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Votruba 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
441
1 in 777,221
Census rank
#57,177
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
385
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 385 bearers of the surname Votruba in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 57177th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Votruba, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.1%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Votruba
The surname Votruba has its origins in the Czech Republic and can be traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old Czech word "votrub," which referred to a type of trumpet or horn. This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with a person who played a horn or was involved in the production of these instruments.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Votruba can be found in a document from the town of Kutná Hora, dated 1376. This document mentions a certain Jakub Votruba, who was a metalsmith and likely worked with the production of horns or other instruments.
In the 15th century, the name Votruba appeared in various records from the region of Bohemia, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire. For example, a man named Jan Votruba was listed as a resident of the town of Plzeň in 1452.
As the name spread across different regions, it also acquired various spellings and variations. In some areas, it was written as Wotruba, Wottruba, or Wotrubka, reflecting local dialects and pronunciation patterns.
One notable figure in history who bore the Votruba surname was Václav Votruba (1825-1899), a Czech painter and illustrator known for his landscapes and depictions of rural life. He was born in the town of Čelákovice and spent much of his career in Prague.
Another significant individual was Josef Votruba (1879-1949), a Czech architect and urban planner who played a crucial role in the development of modern architecture in Czechoslovakia. He was particularly known for his work on public housing projects and the design of numerous schools and public buildings.
In the 19th century, the Votruba name also appeared in the United States, likely due to immigration from Czech-speaking regions of Europe. One notable American with this surname was Frank Votruba (1894-1971), a professional baseball player who played for several teams in the Major Leagues during the 1920s and 1930s.
While the surname Votruba may have originated in a specific region, it has since spread across various parts of the world, carried by individuals and families who have migrated and established roots in new locations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Votruba
Among Census respondents with the surname Votruba, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.1%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Votruba 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 Votruba surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.3% · 367
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 8
- Two or more races2.1% · 8
- Black or African American0.3% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Votruba
Votruba 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
#52,169
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 398
+44 bearers (+12.4%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 2,353 places
2020
#57,177
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 385
-13 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 5,008 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #54,522 | 354 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #52,169 | 398 | 0.13 | +44 bearers (+12.4%) | Up 2,353 places |
| 2020 | #57,177 | 385 | 0.13 | -13 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 5,008 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 Votruba 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 | #52,169 | #57,177 | -9.6% |
| Count | 398 | 385 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.13 | -0.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Votruba bearers went from 398 to 385 (-3.3% change). The surname moved down 5,008 positions in the national ranking, going from #52,169 to #57,177.
FAQ
Votruba surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Votruba?
Name Census estimates that about 441 living Americans carry the surname Votruba. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 777,221 residents.
How common is Votruba?
Votruba ranks #57,177 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 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 385 people with the surname Votruba. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (441), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 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 Votruba.
Has Votruba become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Votruba went from 398 recorded bearers to 385. That is a decrease of 13 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #52,169 to #57,177.
What does the Census say about the background of Votruba?
Among Census respondents with the surname Votruba, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.1%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Votruba in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.3% (367 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Votruba appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.3%), Hispanic (2.1%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Votruba (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 Votruba mean?
Czech surname denoting someone from Votruby or a nearby resident. 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 Votruba (0.13 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 common is the surname Votruba?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Votruba? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.