2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wojdak
A Polish surname derived from the Slavic word "voj" meaning soldier or warrior.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Wojdak. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wojdak 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Wojdak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wojdak, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wojdak
The surname Wojdak originates from Poland and has its roots deeply embedded in Slavic culture. Dating back to the Middle Ages, the name is likely to have emerged in the regions of Poland that are rich in history like Masovia or Lesser Poland. The name Wojdak is derived from the Old Polish word wojda, an honorific term meaning warrior or fighter, indicative of the region's martial culture and turbulent historical periods.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Wojdak appear in Polish medieval documents. Notably, in the 14th century, a certain Jan Wojdak was mentioned in the judicial records of Kraków, highlighting the surname's presence in historical legal matters. Additionally, manuscripts from the same period, collected in the Polish Archives, reference a Tadeusz Wojdak who served as a local chieftain during the late 14th century.
Historical references to the Wojdak name also include notable figures in military and political realms. Władysław Wojdak, born in 1523 and deceased in 1584, was a distinguished soldier in the service of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, recognized for his contributions during the Livonian War. His valor and leadership are documented in military annals from the 16th century.
Another significant bearer of the surname was Katarzyna Wojdak, a landowner and benefactor born in 1587. She played a notable role in community development in the Masovian Voivodeship, with marriage records indicating her influence over several estates. Her name appears in legal documents and land grants preserved in Warsaw’s Central Archives.
In the 17th century, the surname Wojdak surfaces again with Marcin Wojdak, born in 1620, who was a scholar and author. His works on local history and Slavic traditions were widely read and respected. Marcin’s contributions to Polish literature are preserved in manuscripts housed at the Jagiellonian Library.
Another prominent figure was Józef Wojdak, born in 1705, a political figure and member of the Polish nobility (szlachta). His efforts in the Sejm (Polish parliament) and influence over regional politics are well-documented in historical records from the period. He is remembered for his advocacy for agricultural reforms and modernization of Polish estates.
The Wojdak surname has a rich and diverse history interwoven with Poland’s tumultuous past, spanning legal, military, and political domains. The etymology, associated with warriors and leaders, underscores the significant roles individuals with this surname have played throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wojdak
Among Census respondents with the surname Wojdak, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Wojdak 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 Wojdak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.4% · 102
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wojdak
Wojdak 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
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,972 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Up 3,972 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 Wojdak 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 | #154,907 | #150,935 | 2.6% |
| Count | 105 | 108 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wojdak bearers went from 105 to 108 (+2.9% change). The surname moved up 3,972 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #150,935.
FAQ
Wojdak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wojdak?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Wojdak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Wojdak?
Wojdak ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Wojdak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Wojdak.
Has Wojdak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wojdak went from 105 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 3 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Wojdak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wojdak, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Wojdak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.4% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wojdak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.4%), Black (1.9%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Wojdak (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 Wojdak mean?
A Polish surname derived from the Slavic word "voj" meaning soldier 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 Wojdak (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 share the surname Wojdak?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.