2000
#100,663
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 166
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Walkoviak
A name of Polish origin derived from the root "walk," meaning "battle" or "warrior."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 198 Americans carry the last name Walkoviak. That puts it at #108,965 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,731,083 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Walkoviak 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
198
1 in 1,731,083
Census rank
#108,965
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
173
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 173 bearers of the surname Walkoviak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 108965th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Walkoviak, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Walkoviak
The surname WALKOVIAK originates from Poland, tracing its roots back to the 14th century. It is derived from the Polish word "walka," meaning "to walk," and likely referred to a person who was known for their hiking or wandering abilities. The name may also have connections to the Polish city of Walki or the village of Walkowice.
According to historical records, one of the earliest known individuals with this surname was Jan WALKOVIAK, a merchant born in Krakow in 1412. His name appeared in the city's tax records, indicating his status as a prominent trader during that era. Another early bearer of this name was Mikołaj WALKOVIAK, a landowner from the village of Walkowice, whose name was recorded in a land deed from 1486.
In the 16th century, the WALKOVIAK name gained prominence with the birth of Stanisław WALKOVIAK (1532-1598), a renowned poet and playwright from Warsaw. His works, which often explored themes of travel and adventure, were widely celebrated during the Polish Renaissance period.
The WALKOVIAK surname also has connections to the Polish nobility. In the 17th century, Tomasz WALKOVIAK (1621-1687) was a member of the szlachta, the Polish gentry class, and served as a military officer during the Polish-Swedish War.
Another notable figure was Katarzyna WALKOVIAK (1789-1854), a philanthropist and activist from Poznan. She was known for her efforts in establishing schools and orphanages for underprivileged children in the region.
Throughout history, the WALKOVIAK surname has been recorded with various spellings, such as Walkowiak, Walkowjak, and Walkowiak, reflecting the evolution of the Polish language over time. While the name is primarily concentrated in Poland, it has also spread to other parts of Europe and the world due to migration and diaspora communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Walkoviak
Among Census respondents with the surname Walkoviak, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Walkoviak 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 Walkoviak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.7% · 169
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 3
- Two or more races0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Walkoviak
Walkoviak 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
#108,199
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 164
-2 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 7,536 places
2020
#108,965
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 173
+9 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 766 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #100,663 | 166 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #108,199 | 164 | 0.06 | -2 bearers (-1.2%) | Down 7,536 places |
| 2020 | #108,965 | 173 | 0.06 | +9 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 766 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 Walkoviak 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 | #108,199 | #108,965 | -0.7% |
| Count | 164 | 173 | 5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Walkoviak bearers went from 164 to 173 (+5.5% change). The surname moved down 766 positions in the national ranking, going from #108,199 to #108,965.
FAQ
Walkoviak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Walkoviak?
Name Census estimates that about 198 living Americans carry the surname Walkoviak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,731,083 residents.
How common is Walkoviak?
Walkoviak ranks #108,965 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 173 people with the surname Walkoviak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (198), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Walkoviak.
Has Walkoviak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Walkoviak went from 164 recorded bearers to 173. That is an increase of 9 (+5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #108,199 to #108,965.
What does the Census say about the background of Walkoviak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Walkoviak, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (0.6%). 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 Walkoviak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.7% (169 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Walkoviak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.7%), Hispanic (1.7%), Two or More Races (0.6%). 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 Walkoviak (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 Walkoviak mean?
A name of Polish origin derived from the root "walk," meaning "battle" or "warrior." 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 Walkoviak (0.06 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 are called Walkoviak?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Walkoviak on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.